The Crimson Flame
by Colorful and Free
Summary: In a desolate world populated by fearless warriors, the legendary Crimson Flame is on a mission to confront the most powerful one of all. Meanwhile, in another world, Mario's brother, Luigi, has gone missing and is nowhere to be found. Will the rift between these two worlds be sealed? Based on the Black Rock Shooter OVAs. MarioxDaisy. Rated T for violence.
1. The First Day

_Summary: In a desolate world populated by fearless warriors, the legendary Crimson Flame is on a mission to confront the most powerful one of all. Meanwhile, in another world, Mario's brother, Luigi, has gone missing and is nowhere to be found. Will the rift between these two worlds be sealed? Based on the Black Rock Shooter OVAs. DaisyxMario. Rated K Plus for action sequences._

 _Hey, guys! I know that I have other stories in progress, but I'm doing another one. I know it's not the wisest idea, but I've had this idea in my head for awhile. Unlike Swirls of Black and Green, which started out short but grew into a long story, I plan to keep this one short. I'm aiming for 5 chapters at most. If you haven't watched the Black Rock Shooter OVAs (just the OVAs, not the show), you may have trouble following at first. It will make sense later on._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own the characters you see here. The Mario games and characters belong to Nintendo. The concept belongs to Ryohei Fuke/Huke._

* * *

 _CLING! CLASH!_ The Crimson Flame clashed weapons with his greatest rival, Goldrush. He was ugly with his large pink nose, purple bags under his eyes, and cleft chin. He already had thick hairs growing above his lip. Goldrush smirked as he prepared to strike the Crimson Flame. Instead, the red warrior dodged his attack. He did a back flip and landed on the opposite side of the platform.

On the other side, Goldrush laughed. Even his voice sounded nasally and ugly. "You're going soft on me, Red. It's a shame. I used to enjoy fighting with you so much..."

The Crimson Flame narrowed his eyes.

Goldrush smirked. "I know what you're here to do. Unfortunately, I can't let you do that!" He launched towards him with a confident, toothy grin. He used his right hand to strike with his sword. The two continued clashing weapons. _CLING!_ _CLASH!_ He switched hands and struck the Crimson Flame with his pike. He cried out, dropping his sword. The red warrior fell off the edge of the platform, the ground quickly rushing to meet him.

 _SMASH!_ His back throbbed with pain. The Crimson Flame groaned. A scar tore through his red shirt. He looked up to see a warrior in gold armor coming down to meet him.

The Crimson Flame rolled out of the way just as Goldrush landed. The floor crumbled under his heavy weight. The Crimson Flame scanned the ground for his sword and found it a few feet away. Goldrush saw this and growled. He jumped and crouched in midair, landing on the ground with a deafening _SMASH!_ The Crimson Flame noticed the floor break apart, but also saw vibrations throughout the whole area. The walls of the fragile building were crashing all around them.

Goldrush laughed. He stepped in front of the Crimson Flame. He pointed his sword at his throat. He said nothing, for he knew that he had won this fight.

The broken building rushed towards them. In seconds, this area would be nothing but rubble. The Crimson Flame had to act fast. He frowned and made fire appear in his right hand, launching a fireball towards his enemy.

Goldrush screamed as the fire hit his face, scorching his skin. He covered his face and stepped back.

The Crimson Flame grabbed his sword and ran as his enemy was crushed in the oncoming rubble.

* * *

"See you after school, Papa!"

Papa waved at them from the driver's seat. "Have a good day, Mario! You too, Luigi!"

Luigi grabbed his bag and shut the car door. "Bye, Papa!"

Once both boys were ready to go, Papa drove off. Mario and Luigi walked towards the school. They were surrounded by other students. Unlike yesterday, which was freshmen orientation, students of all grade levels were approaching the school.

Luigi bit his lip. Although the boys were twins, they had opposing views when it came to other people. Mario was the flourishing extrovert, enthusiastic and friendly. Luigi, on the other hand, was the shy introvert. While he hesitated, Mario wore a smile on his face.

The boy in green stretched and yawned. "I'm tired. Why does school always have to start so early?"

"Oh, come on, bro!" Mario said. "It's the first day of high school! Aren't you excited?"

"I guess so," Luigi muttered, rubbing his eyes.

"Luigi, we're freshmen now! Pretty soon, we're gonna have jobs and girlfriends and we'll get fancy cars too!"

The boy in green smiled. "You might want to slow down there, Mario. We're only fifteen. Did you drink extra coffee this morning?"

The boy in red shrugged. "Maybe. So what?"

Luigi laughed and tried not to focus on his nervousness. It would be easier back in Brooklyn, where he and Mario already knew everybody. However, they moved to New York City a few weeks ago so their father could find better work. Business had been slow at his old job and he was hoping to get a fresh start in the new city. Plus, Papa believed he had a better chance of getting his novel published in a more prominent area.

As Mario and Luigi got closer to the school, a sign caught Luigi's eye. It read, _Welcome to T_ _oadstool High! Home of the NYC Toads!_

Luigi sighed as they entered the building. "I guess we're Toadstool toads now. Seriously, they couldn't get more creative with their mascot?"

"Oh, don't be so picky, Luigi." They both got out their schedules and compared them one more time. "Alright, it looks like we both have first and second hour together! That's Math and English!"

"Good. I don't think that I could survive all my classes without you."

Mario looked up curiously. "You did it in middle school."

"I know. I'm just not used to this city yet."

Luigi thought he saw a flash of purple out of the corner of his eye. However, he didn't know who it was until it was too late. "Oh, look. It's the stupid Mario brothers in the flesh."

The boy in green turned. The other boy was wearing a purple sweater and baggy jeans. He had black eyes and a large pink nose. He also had purple bags under his eyes and a narrow face. At sixteen, he already had a mustache growing in. Luigi narrowed his eyes. Unlike the majority of students at Toadstool High, he recognized this boy. "Waluigi..."

Waluigi was Mario and Luigi's cousin. Although he grew up in New York City all his life, the boys knew him through family gatherings and the occasional visit. While his older brother was at least tolerable, Waluigi seemed to go out of his way to annoy the boys, especially Luigi. The two had been rivals since the day they met.

Mario frowned. "What do you want?"

Waluigi crossed his arms. "Nothing. I just find it a shame that this place is gonna be _ruined_ because of you two, especially green."

Luigi frowned, looking down. Mario noticed this and glared at Waluigi. "This is our school too." He looked around for a second person. "Where's your brother at? Aren't you and Wario stuck like glue?"

"He got into a motorbike accident," Waluigi said casually.

Luigi looked up, worried. "Is he okay?"

Waluigi shrugged. "It's only a few broken bones. He'll be back at school in a week at most. I bet the fact that you guys are here made him lose his concentration."

The boy in green rolled his eyes. "Don't you have anything better to do than make fun of us?"

"Shut up, green."

Luigi growled and got closer to Waluigi. Though he was normally a pacifist, he wasn't about to take any torment from his cousin on the first day. Luigi might have punched him if it weren't for Mario. The boy in red grabbed his brother's sleeve. Luigi turned, irritated. However, he calmed down when he saw Mario's expression. He had a frown on his face, but his eyes shined with worry and concern. Luigi sighed and backed down.

Mario grabbed Luigi's hand. "Come on, Luigi. We have better things to do."

As they walked away, Luigi glared at his cousin. Waluigi held an L on his forehead and stuck his tongue out.

The rest of the day was ordinary. All seven class periods were a blur of new textbooks and lists of rules. They were also given a mountain of supplies to buy for class. Mario and Luigi were glad when they found out they also had lunch together; however, those thirty minutes were a small break in comparison to all the time spent in class.

After school, Mario and Luigi met outside. Since both of their parents worked during the afternoon, they had to take the bus home. Thankfully, it was only a short ride.

"So, how was the first day, Wee-gee?"

"It was okay. The only bad part is that Waluigi and I have acting class together. It's during fifth hour."

Mario frowned. "Boo!" He drew out the word, flashing a thumb down. "That really sucks, Luigi."

Luigi shrugged. "Eh. I'm not too worried about it. Acting is still my favorite class. You know, I think I might try out for the school play in September. They're doing _Romeo and Juliet."_

Mario grinned. "Yeah? Well, I hope you get in! You're a great actor, Wee-gee!"

Luigi blushed and played with the hem of his shirt. "I don't know about that."

"Oh, come on! You've been getting in plays since we were kids!"

The boy in green chuckled. "Yeah, I guess that's true. What about you? How was your first day?"

"I made some new friends already! There's this really short kid in Biology who insists that I call him Toad. Even the teachers forget that his real name is Ethan. He's a bit of a weirdo, but he's really nice. Oh, and I also met this girl named Peach. Peach Toadstool. She's the principal's daughter. "

"Sounds like you're already smitten for her," Luigi teased. Mario was always a hit with the girls back in Brooklyn.

Mario gave him a playful shove. "I'm taking a break from girls."

"But didn't you say something about girlfriends and fancy cars earlier today?"

"Yeah, but that's for later! I'm still trying to get over Pauline."

"You broke up with her a month ago."

"But it was still rough..."

Luigi grinned. "I'm giving you and Peach a few days at most."

Mario stuck out his tongue. However, his eyes lit up as he remembered something. "Oh, wait! I almost forgot!" He dug through his back pack.

Luigi furrowed his brows. "What is it, Mario?"

The boy in red pulled out his cellphone, wiping the bits of dust off the screen. "I met to do this at the school, but better late than never!" He went to the camera app on his phone and turned to Luigi. "We gotta capture this moment! Our first real day as highschoolers!"

Luigi laughed. "If you insist..." He got closer to Mario and smiled for the tiny camera.

Mario flashed a smile. "Here's to a good school year!"

He pressed the button on his phone. There was a brief flash, then their photo was on the screen. Mario had a confident smile on his face while Luigi wore a shy grin. While Luigi went back to staring at the window, Mario grinned and set the photo as his wallpaper.

* * *

His red cape fluttered in the distance. His brown boots scrapped the dirt as he slowly walked up to the cliff. All he had to do was look down and he saw it. The Crimson Flame stared at the broken castle beneath him. The sky was covered in fog and he could hear rumbling thunder in the distance. _BOOM!_ The warrior knew there would be a storm ahead. A thunderstorm.

The Crimson Flame stepped a few more feet in front of the cliff. He reached for his aching chest. The second he touched it, he felt sharp stinging. He cringed. When he pulled his hand away, it was covered in blood. His red short-sleeved shirt was torn, as were his black shorts. The scar on his chest was still bleeding.

He closed his eyes and sighed. He knew this wouldn't be easy. _He_ probably had warriors standing watch in front of his hideout, ready for this exact situation. They would be more powerful than Goldrush.

But the Crimson Flame didn't care. He knew he had to do this. He made a promise.

Shaking the blood away, the Crimson Flame jumped off the cliff.

He was going to find him.

* * *

 _Did you follow that? I hope you did. I didn't realize how confusing this might be to a newcomer until I started writing it down. Hopefully, it will make more sense later. These two concepts might seem unrelated, but they'll cross paths eventually._

 _Let me know if you want more!_

 _-Colorful and Free_


	2. Freshmen Prodigies

_I think this is pretty obvious, but I'm gonna say it anyway: I do not own Romeo and Juliet. The play was written by Shakespeare. If I did own Romeo and Juliet, I'd be rich and not some middle class girl who writes fanfics for fun. _

* * *

The Crimson Flame landed with a _THUD!_ Despite this, he felt no pain. He looked around him and realized that fog covered the area. He took a deep breath and moved forward, pulling his cape closer.

Within a matter of minutes, The Crimson Flame was caught in a light drizzle. The rain fell down softly. The dirt turned to mud and dewdrops covered the grass. He walked through the grass, feeling calm for once. He was grateful for the peace and quiet. If only it would be that easy. The storm would only get worse from there.

* * *

Mario took a bite of his turkey sandwich, waiting for Luigi to get back from checking the cast list. He stared into space for a moment, looking outside. It was raining. It wasn't pouring; it was just a light drizzle. The rain calmed Mario. It made him think back to when he was a child, stomping into mud puddles and dancing in the rain. The boy in red giggled at the memory.

Just then, Luigi ran up to Mario's table. He was practically bouncing up and down. "Mario! Mario! Guess what!?"

Mario started to reply, then remembered he hadn't finished chewing. He held a finger up, indicating for Luigi to wait, then swallowed. "Okay. What is it?"

"I'm in! I'm in the play! Not only that, but I get to play Romeo!"

Mario was glad he finished chewing; he might have started choking otherwise. "What!? Really?"

Luigi nodded with a huge smile on his face.

"Luigi..." Mario whispered. "That's awesome!" He stood and hugged his brother, not caring who was watching.

After they stopped hugging, Luigi said, "I know, right? I'm so excited! I've never been the lead before! I've come a long way from playing that earth spirit in first grade, huh?"

Mario grinned. They were only six years old back then. "Luigi, you stole the show even then."

The boy in green blushed. "Don't you think you're exaggerating a little?"

"Not at all! You need to start being more confident in yourself, little bro."

Luigi smiled bashfully. "Oh, and Waluigi got in too."

Mario frowned. "Oh no."

Luigi shook his head. "No, no! It's a good thing! Guess who he's playing?"

"I don't know...Romeo's dad?"

"Even better! He's playing Tybalt."

"Oh," Mario said. After a few seconds of silence, he asked, "Who's that?"

Luigi smirked. "Romeo's rival."

Mario laughed. "Perfect." He gave Luigi a high-five. "So, who's your fair Juliet?"

"Peach Toadstool," Luigi replied. "You know, that girl in your Biology class."

Mario smirked, an image of the blond beauty coming to mind. "Are you looking forward to your kiss scene?"

Luigi gave Mario a playful shove. He remembered the first day when he was teasing Mario about dating Peach. It looked like the roles were reversed. "It's just acting. Just because we're playing the leads doesn't mean we're magically going to fall in love."

"Keep telling yourself that. Next thing you know, you'll be getting married and having a kid."

The boy in green sat down with his brother. "Why one kid? I've always wanted two!"

The brothers shared a good laugh before Mario went back to eating. Luigi opened his lunchbox and pulled out his peanut butter and jelly sandwich. After a few minutes, Mario remembered that he had something to tell Luigi. "You know, Luigi, I've been thinking. Mama and Papa have been getting on my case about extracurriculars lately. You know, for college applications and stuff."

"Mario, you don't have to worry about college now. We're only freshmen."

"I know, but they insist that I do something after school. I'm starting to think they're right. You have acting. I want to take part in something too."

"Oh yeah? What club were you thinking?"

"Well...It's not a club. It's actually a sport."

"Really?"

Mario nodded. "Uh-huh. See, I'm not that great at my classes, but I'm really good in gym. The coach recommended that I join a sport and I figured, 'Why not?'"

Luigi grinned. "That sounds cool. What sport did you have in mind?"

The boy in red smiled. "Well..."

After play rehearsal, Luigi went to the gym and saw the basketball team practicing. He couldn't help but grin. He found an older man watching them. Although his black hair was starting to turn grey and he had wrinkles spread across his face, the boy in green couldn't help but think he had a youthful radiance. Luigi approached him. "Hello."

The coach turned and smiled. "Hi. You're Mario's brother, aren't you?"

Luigi nodded. "Is practice almost done? We have to be home by 5 o'clock." He glanced at the digital clock on the wall. It was about 4:30.

"Ah. Well, don't worry about it," He said. Turning to watch the players, the coach continued, "The kids are almost done. I doubt it will last until 5, but if it does, I can call your parents or send them a note. You're more than welcome to stay and watch."

One of the boys ran across the court, dribbling the ball. A few kids were crowding around him while others were telling him to pass it to them. Instead, he smirked and leaped into the air, throwing the basket through the hoop. While the players practicing against him groaned, the others cheered. The star player smiled.

Luigi saw his cousin, Wario, approach him. While he was a bit narcissistic at times, he wasn't nearly as bad as Waluigi. He patted the other boy on the back. "Nice job, Red."

Mario smiled. "Thanks, dear old cousin of mine." Just then, he saw Luigi. He smiled and waved at him. Luigi waved back.

"Your brother is a real ace," The coach told Luigi. "The best player on the team, no doubt."

The boy in green grinned. He was so proud of Mario. "Yeah. I know."

* * *

His prediction had been right. The drizzle turned into a moderate shower. That shower became a heavy storm. Add thunder and lightning into the mix and he was in the middle of a thunderstorm. _He_ had to have done this intentionally. He knew that water was his weakness.

As such, The Crimson Flame started to slow down. He felt his energy dissipate. He had to find somewhere to get away from the rain. The Crimson Flame remembered there was a forest nearby and went to it for shelter. He would have to stay there for the night.

Later, in a hidden cave, The Crimson Flame tried to use his fire. He felt sparks in his hand, like tiny embers hidden in ash. That was the range of his power.

 _SNAP!_ The Crimson Flame looked up. He scanned the area around him. Strange. He thought he heard a twig snap. Shrugging, he went back to trying to make fire. He had the same result as before.

 _CRUNCH!_ The red warrior couldn't have imagined it that time. He stood. He tried to make fire, though nothing happened. He huffed and drew his sword, holding it in a defensive gesture. He saw a shadow in the darkness.

Could it be Goldrush, back from the dead? Or someone worse? Or was it...?

The shadow came out from the dark.

The Crimson Flame felt his eyes grow wide. This certainly wasn't what he expected.

It was a girl. She was a brunette with shoulder-length hair. Her orange eyes were full of warmth. She had a white bodice with an orange jacket and red skirt. She also had orange gloves that covered the elbow to the wrist along with black boots. Her clothes were covered in filth. Then again, it might not have been her fault. He saw blood spatters on her katana blades, suggesting another fierce duel.

White Flower.

He narrowed his eyes, flashing the girl a look of disapproval. She must have followed him here without him realizing it.

"I know what you're going to say. I shouldn't have come," White Flower said.

He nodded. He didn't have to voice his thoughts; she already knew what he was thinking.

"But he means just as much to me as he does to you."

The Crimson Flame looked away. He tried to use his power one last time. This time, he was able to use his fire. The red warrior made a real fire, using sticks he had gathered earlier in the day. Although he was full of the warm energy, he still felt the cold air.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" White Flower asked.

The Crimson Flame stared at the fire.

She sighed. "Please let me do this. I want to help you. I love you." Surprised, he turned to her. She looked at him with sincerity.

The Crimson Flame sighed. He must have been too harsh with her. He tapped the rock next to him, urging her to sit. She smiled and sat next to him. After a few seconds, White Flower put her hands in front of the fire. "We can stay here for the night, but we must leave by morning."

The Crimson Flame nodded. She was always able to predict his exact thoughts.

* * *

A few weeks later, Luigi watched Mario play basketball on the bleachers. He didn't have play practice that day, so he got there early to watch. Mario dribbled the ball, concentrating. He ran closer to the hoop, but a couple of kids blocked his way.

"Come on, Red!" Wario called out. "Pass me the ball!"

Mario ignored his cousin and moved past the people blocking him. He leaped into the air and launched the ball towards the hoop. Mario missed, but that wasn't even the worst of it. The second he landed, he cringed. "OW!" He shouted. He crashed to the floor. "Ah..."

Luigi's eyes widened. He stood. "Mario?"

Coach Bradman blew his whistle. "Hold it!" He walked up to the players. The kids cleared a path for him, leaving Mario in the middle by himself. The coach bent down, looking at his star player with worry. "What's wrong, Mario?"

"Nothing," Mario muttered. He tried to stand, but when he put weight on his left foot, he cringed. He stumbled back down. "Ow..."

"Hold on. I think you might have sprained your ankle, kid."

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not fine. You need to take it easy." The coach turned to one of the girls. "Can you help him?"

The girl nodded. She was a brunette with shoulder-length hair and blue eyes. She wore an orange t-shirt and gray shorts. "Sure thing, coach." She wrapped her arm around Mario's back and helped him stand. She led him to the bleachers while he limped.

"Don't come to practice this weekend," Coach Bradman added. "Let me know when your ankle has healed and I'll put you back in."

Mario sighed. "Okay, Coach."

The coach turned to the team and blew his whistle. "Alright, let's pick up from where we left off."

Luigi went to his brother. "Bro, what happened?"

"He sprained his ankle," The girl explained. "Could you keep him company while I go get him some ice?"

Luigi nodded. With that, the brunette walked away. The boy in green watched her leave. "Who is that?"

"Daisy Sarasa," Mario replied. "She's a really good player."

Luigi nodded, then realized something. "Wait, aren't the boys' team and girls' team usually separate?"

"Usually, but there weren't enough girls to form one team. They decided to combine them this year."

"Are you gonna be okay?"

Mario shrugged. "It's just a sprained ankle." The boy in green frowned and pulled out his cell phone. Mario furrowed his brows. "What are you doing?"

"Calling Mama and Papa," Luigi answered. "You're too hurt to walk all the way to the bus stop and then back to the house."

He frowned. "Luigi..."

"No arguing. You need to get better. If you put too much pressure on the sprain, it's only going to get worse."

Mario sighed. "Well...I guess you're right."

Daisy came back with an ice pack. "Here you go. This might sting a little." She put the ice on his wounded ankle.

The boy in red winced, but smiled when the pain subsided. "Thanks, Daisy."

"No problem. You're one of our strongest players, a freshmen prodigy. The sooner you get healed, the better."

Luigi sighed. "I guess I'll have to keep telling him that this weekend."

Daisy turned to Luigi, as if noticing him for the first time. "Oh, um...I don't think we've met. I'm Daisy."

Luigi smiled. "Luigi. I'm Mario's younger brother. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too." Daisy turned to Mario. "Listen to your brother, Mario. I'm getting back out there. Take it easy, okay?" With that, Daisy left her friend and joined the other members of the team.

Luigi stood and helped Mario up. "Come on, bro. You can lean on me."

Mario nodded. Luigi wrapped an arm around him, like Daisy was doing earlier, and walked with him. Mario limped slowly. "Thanks, Luigi."

"Don't worry about it." Luigi smirked when he remembered what Daisy called Mario. "Hey, did you hear Daisy call you a freshmen prodigy earlier?"

"Yeah...It's what everyone on the team calls me."

"Why so nonchalant? You should be proud!"

Mario frowned. "Says the guy who refuses to admit he's a good actor, despite being cast as the lead in the play."

Luigi laughed. "Okay, I'm a good actor and you're a good player. Are we even?"

The boy in red shrugged. "I guess so. You know, if I get better in time, I might be able to compete this season. Coach Bradman was telling me that before I sprained my ankle."

"If you take it easy, maybe you will," The boy in green replied. "It's a good thing it's already Friday. You won't have to do too much moving around this weekend."

"Yeah..." Mario whispered. He lit up. "Maybe if I get better really fast, I can go back to practice on Monday!"

Luigi laughed. "We'll see about that. For now, let's worry about getting home."

Mario nodded and limped out of the gym with Luigi by his side.

* * *

The Crimson Flame opened his eyes. He sat up, rubbing his head. He noticed he was in a cave. He was confused for a moment, then laid eyes on White Flower. She was sleeping so soundly, her brown hair a mess. Then it all came back to him. He decided not to wake her right away.

He stood and stretched, letting out a yawn. The Crimson Flame walked outside and saw that it was morning. He would have to leave with White Flower after breakfast. After going to a nearby lake, The Crimson Flame grabbed a stick and waited for fish. Once he saw one swimming nearby, he immediately struck it with his stick. The fish went limp.

The Crimson Flame pulled it out of the water and grinned.

 _CRUNCH!_ The warrior looked around, expecting to see White Flower. Instead, he saw nothing. He frowned and turned back to the lake, catching more fish. However, he couldn't help but feel like he was being watched.

* * *

The next couple of months rolled by. Soon, Mario recovered from his sprained ankle and was able to compete that season. During one of the last games, Mario made the winning shot for the toads in the last few minutes. His team lifted him into the air while Luigi and their parents cheered from the bleachers. That night, they celebrated by having a huge party at Wario's house. The party lasted until about 2 AM.

Before they knew it, November came. On the first weekend of the new month, Toadstool High presented _Romeo and Juliet._ Mario and their parents got front row seats on the last night of the play.

During Act 3, Scene 5, Luigi and Peach stood in the center of the stage. Luigi wore a dark green tunic along with long white socks and pointed black shoes. Peach was lovely as Juliet. Her blonde hair was wrapped into a ponytail. She wore a pink bodice with yellow laces in the center in a criss-cross style along with a flowing pink hem. She also wore pink slip-on shoes.

Luigi held Peach's hands and looked passionately into her sapphire eyes. It was as if they were a real couple and not two student actors.

"Wilt thou be gone?" Peach whispered sadly. "It is not yet near day: it was the nightingale, and not the lark, that pierced the fearful hollow of thine ear; nightly she sings on yon pomegranate-tree: believe me, love, it was the nightingale."

Mario grinned. Ah, the famous nightingale scene.

Luigi shook his head sadly. "It was the lark, the herald of the morn. No nightingale. Look, love," He grabbed Peach's hand and led her towards the left side of the stage. He gestured to the imaginary sky. "What envious streaks do lace the severing clouds in yonder east. Night's candles are burnt out, and jocund day stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tops. I must be gone and live, or stay and die."

Peach bit her lip, trying to deny the truth. "Yon light is not day-light, I know it, I. It is some meteor that the sun exhales, to be to thee this night a torch-bearer, and light thee on thy way to Mantua: therefore stay yet; thou need'st not to be gone."

Mario couldn't help but enjoy the earlier scene where Luigi pretended to kill Waluigi with his sword. Unfortunately, that meant that he was now in exile and he couldn't be with Peach any longer. Even though they had different names in the play, it was nearly impossible for Mario to see anyone but his younger brother and friend standing on that stage.

Luigi smiled and stroked Peach's cheek. He took a strand of her blonde hair and pulled it back behind her ear. "Let me be ta'en, let me be put to death; I am content, so thou wilt have it so. I'll say yon grey is not the morning's eye, 'tis but the pale reflex of Cynthia's brow; nor that is not the lark, whose notes do beat the vaulty heaven so high above our heads. I have more care to stay than will to go." He turned and made a grand gesture towards no one in particular. "Come, death, and welcome! Juliet wills it so." He turned back to his girl. "How is't, my soul? let's talk; it is not day."

Then again, maybe Mario was wrong. Luigi was doing a stellar job as Romeo.

At this point, the blonde's face contorted into a look of pain. She shook her head and turned away from Luigi. "It is, it is: hie hence, be gone, away! It is the lark that sings so out of tune, straining harsh discords and unpleasing sharps. Some say the lark makes sweet division; this doth not so, for she divideth us. Some say the lark and loathed toad change eyes...Oh, now I would they had changed voices too! Since arm from arm that voice doth us affray, hunting thee hence with hunt's-up to the day. Oh, now be gone; more light and light it grows."

Luigi frowned. He sighed and muttered, "More light and light; more dark and dark our woes..."

Mario thought he heard someone weeping quietly. He turned and saw his mother wipe a tear from her eye with a tissue. He grinned and kept watching the show. Mama always made sure to bring tissues in her purse, especially for these kind of shows. She was always a sucker for romance.

Once the show was over, the entire cast walked back onto the stage. That is, the entire cast except for Luigi and Peach. The students held hands and bowed while the audience cheered.

After the first round of applause, Luigi ran back on stage from the left side while Peach ran back from the right. They both met at the center. Peach gestured to Luigi and he bowed while the audience clapped for him. Next, he gestured to the blonde. She gave a formal, but cute curtsey and the audience clapped a third time. The leads held hands and bowed together while the rest of the cast did the same. Everyone in the audience stood and cheered.

With that, the cast dispersed as well as the audience. Mario and his parents met Luigi outside of the auditorium. As soon as he spotted his brother, Mario gave him a crushing hug. "You did so good, Wee-gee!"

Luigi laughed and hugged back. "Thanks, bro. I'm glad to hear it."

Mama squealed and gave her son a hug. "I'm so proud of my little boy!"

Luigi giggled. "Mama..."

She let go and Papa gave Luigi a pat on the back. "You did great, Luigi. Hey, what do you say we get ice cream to celebrate?"

Luigi grinned. "Sure! I'd love it!"

Mario took Luigi's hand and led him outside, their parents following not too far behind.

Needless to say, that evening was a great night.

* * *

The Crimson Flame walked out of the forest with White Flower next to him. The two were quiet at first. There wasn't a whole lot to say.

White Flower started the conversation. "We should be getting close."

The Crimson Flame nodded.

White Flower turned to him. "Are you nervous?"

He shook his head.

"Are you scared?"

He shook his head again.

White Flower frowned. She put her hand on his shoulder. "It's okay if you are. We will get him back."

The Crimson Flame was silent, but he had worry in his eyes. There was so much that could go wrong. But once again, he reminded himself that it didn't matter. He wanted him back.

White Flower sighed and took her hand off of his shoulder. "It's my fault this happened in the first place. If I hadn't come into the picture, everything would be fine between you two."

The red warrior shook his head in disagreement. He was about to speak when he saw a flash of purple out of the corner of his eye. The Crimson Flame turned. The girl in orange tilted her head slightly. "What is it?"

He looked around and didn't see anything at first. The Crimson Flame was about to turn back to White Flower when he spotted them. A patch of purple, sharp thorns. He pointed to them. Her eyes grew wide.

"Hello, Flower. Crimson," A voice said. The Crimson Flame felt his eyes grow wide. It sounded like Goldrush, but not quite the same. This voice was slightly higher pitched.

He spotted him on the top of a large rock. This man had brown hair and green eyes. Much like Goldrush, he had purple bags under his eyes and a large pink nose. However, while Goldrush's face was more fat and had a cleft chin, this man's face was narrow and had a pointed chin. Most importantly, he wore a suit of purple armor instead of gold. Ultraviolet.

"You..." White Flower whispered. Her eyes were full of hatred.

"Me," The purple warrior agreed.

"What are you doing here!?"

"You're getting too close to matters that don't concern you," Ultraviolet replied. "You destroyed my brother, Goldrush, for this reason. The sad part is that your quest is pointless. He doesn't want your help." Ultraviolet smirked. "So, why don't you back down now and we can forget this ever happened? I promise I won't tell Green."

The Crimson Flame felt his eyes grow wide. _Green._ Ultraviolet knew where he was.

White Flower glared. "Never!"

The purple warrior frowned. "So be it."

With that, he created thorn-covered vines all around them. The Crimson Flame grabbed White Flower and pulled her away from the vines. He flashed Ultraviolet a dirty look. The latter grinned and rushed towards them, staff in hand.

* * *

 _The part about Luigi playing grass was a reference to Luigi's stories in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. In the romanticized version, he played an earth spirit and stole the show. In reality, he played a single blade of grass. I decided to follow the romanticized version because I don't think an elementary school would make a child play literal grass. XD_

 _"Aren't you going to say anything?" The Crimson Flame can speak but chooses not to. I wonder why._

 _I knew what to write for the curtain call part because I've been in a play. I was in our school's production of Breakfast at Tiffany's as Partygirl #2, or Peggy as I like to call her. Now, in reality, the cast members have to stay and help clean up the set after the show, but screw that. If I want Luigi to eat ice cream with his family after the show, they're getting ice cream, damn it!_

 _I got Ultraviolet's ability to create thorny vines from the Wall-Luigi attack that Waluigi does in the games. (And I don't think I'm giving anything away when I say that Ultraviolet is Waluigi. If you're confused, the regular humans and the warrior counterparts in this story are like the characters in the Wizard of Oz. Dorothy's friends are real people in her world, but they have animal counterparts in her dream like the scarecrow, tin man, and lion.)_

 _-Colorful and Free_


	3. Fallout

_This chapter, we're going to see some Mario x Daisy action. However, Luigi also seems to have a crush on Daisy. This can't end well..._

 _By the way, I'm working on a Left Brain, Right Brain animatic with Luigi and Mr. L. It's still a work in progress, but if you wanna check it out, it's on Youtube. I'd appreciate it if you left a comment so I would know that you watched it. :)_

* * *

The rest of freshmen year came and went. Before they knew it, Mario and Luigi were sophomores. The two were excited at first, but disappointed when they compared their schedules. Mario and Luigi stood inside the school, near the front doors. Mario kept reading his schedule over and over, but it stayed the same every time. He and his brother didn't have any classes together. He put down his schedule and sighed.

Luigi smiled sadly. "It was bound to happen at some point, Mario."

Mario pouted. "But why did it have to happen now?"

"We might still have lunch together."

"Maybe."

Luigi stroked his chin, examining his brother. He seemed different somehow. "You know, Mario, I think you're getting taller."

Mario beamed. "Really?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

The boy in red put his hand at the top of his forehead, then compared his height with his brother. He frowned and put his hand back to his side. "You're still taller than me."

Luigi compared their heights. Mario was right; he was still taller. "Oh. I guess I got taller this summer too."

Mario crossed his arms and went back to pouting. "Promise you're not gonna get any taller, okay?"

Luigi laughed. "Mario, I can't help how much I grow. Why don't you work on getting taller instead?"

Suddenly, a girl their age approached them. She was waving and wearing a friendly grin. "Hey, guys!"

Luigi blushed. "Hey, Daisy."

The two had gotten to know each other quite a bit since the day Mario sprained his ankle. It turned out Luigi and Daisy had a lot in common. They were both interested in tennis, video games, action movies, and even comics. They also shared a healthy fear of ghosts. It took him awhile to realize it, but Luigi had simply fallen head over heels for the brunette.

"Hey," Mario greeted. "Luigi and I found we don't have any classes together. It sucks."

"You're right. That does suck," Daisy agreed. "But hey, I just got my schedule back. Lemme see if I have any classes with you guys." The brunette took her schedule out from her pocket and unfolded it. Luigi handed her his schedule. She squinted, looking back and forth between both papers. Finally, she handed him his schedule back. "Looks like we both have art during seventh hour."

"We do? Awesome!" Luigi beamed.

Daisy giggled. Next, she compared her schedule with Mario. "We have Anatomy and Algebra 2 together."

Mario joined Daisy's side and peered at their schedules. "You're right! I can't wait to see you in class, Daisy!"

Daisy grinned and gave Mario his schedule back. "You won't have to wait long. We have Anatomy first thing in the morning."

Luigi bit his lip. He didn't like the fact that Mario had more time with Daisy. These feelings were new and a bit strange. He scratched the back of his head. "Well, um...I better get to class. I'll see you both later." Before either of them could say anything, Luigi turned and walked away.

Mario and Daisy looked at each other, confused, then shrugged and walked to class together. Maybe Luigi was just eager to start school again.

* * *

Two weeks later, Luigi checked the cast list for _Death of a Salesman._ He read the same names over and over, but no matter how many times he checked, he couldn't find his name anywhere on the list. After letting out a sigh of defeat, Luigi sat down with Mario. Thankfully, the brothers still had lunch together. Even better, Daisy was there too.

"Well, did you get in?" Daisy asked.

Luigi shook his head. "Nope."

Daisy's eyes widened. "What!? They didn't even give you a background part!?"

"Nothing. I guess I'm just not what they were looking for." Luigi sighed. "This time, Waluigi got the lead. He's playing Willy Loman."

"Well, Willy is a bit of a downer," Mario offered. "They were probably looking for someone grouchier and more depressing."

Luigi laughed. "Yeah, I guess that's true." Turning to Daisy, he added, "I saw that you got a part though."

"Yeah, I know. I checked the cast list this morning," Daisy replied.

Mario grew excited. "Really? Who are you playing, Daisy?"

The girl scrunched her nose. "Linda Loman. Can you believe I have to play as Waluigi's wife? Yuck!"

Mario shrugged. "At least you got a main part."

Daisy nodded. "Yeah, I'm still excited to be in the play. If I didn't, I would've turned down the role."

After eating for a few minutes, Mario turned to Luigi. "So, Wee-gee, are you excited for this weekend?"

Luigi's eyes lit up. "You know I am! That movie's gonna be so awesome!"

"What are you guys seeing?" Daisy asked.

"You know how they made Zombies vs. Aliens into a movie?" Mario said.

Daisy nodded. "Yeah, I saw the trailer a couple weeks ago! It looks great!"

Zombies vs. Aliens was the group's favorite video game. The premise was that aliens used toxic chemicals to turn every human on Earth into zombies, starting an intergalactic war between the two species. The main story was in a hack and slay style, but there was also a two player mode with mindless combat. The film had been three years in the making.

"The movie comes out this Saturday," Mario said. "Mama and Papa are letting us see it by ourselves!"

The girl's eyes widened. "Really? It's coming out _this Saturday!?"_

Luigi nodded. "Uh-huh." His cheeks grew hot. "You know, Daisy, I can buy you a ticket, if you're interested."

Daisy beamed. "Of course I'm interested! I love action movies, man!"

"The more the merrier," Mario said with a shrug. "You can come over on Saturday. The movie starts at seven, so we'll probably leave at about six thirty."

"Okay. I'll just have to ask my dad. Here's to hoping he says yes," Daisy said, crossing her fingers. The boys copied the gesture. After that, the girl stood from her seat and pushed in her chair. "I'll be right back. I need to use the restroom real quick." With that, she headed towards the girls' bathroom.

Mario grinned. "Isn't she amazing?"

Luigi nodded, love struck. "Yeah..."

* * *

The Crimson Flame cut through Ultraviolet's vines. They fell apart instantly. He rushed towards him. The latter shot magic beams at him. The red warrior dodged the beams and cut Ultraviolet's face. He cried in pain, blood trailing down his cheek.

The purple warrior glared. Using his magic, he turned his staff into a sword. He and The Crimson Flame began to duel. _CLING! CLASH!_ They attacked and deflected the other's sword.

The Crimson Flame glanced at White Flower, giving a slight nod. They switched places. White Flower struck with her katana blades. Ultraviolet deflected with his sword. _CLING!_ _CLASH!_ They continued this routine, attacking and deflecting, until White Flower punched Ultraviolet in the nose. He groaned and stepped back.

Finally, he growled and wrapped White Flower in vines. The thorns cut her in several places. She cried out, her skin soaked in blood. She tried to cut through the vines, but they were too thick. The vines wrapped around her neck. She gasped for breath.

The Crimson Flame watched in horror. He ran to White Flower, trying to cut the vines with his sword. His weapon had the same effect; it wouldn't cut through. Ultraviolet smirked. He changed his sword back into its original form, then shot more beams.

* * *

It was the last minute of the game. The Toadstool toads were behind by just three points. 17-20. Wario dribbled the ball. Three players from the other team crowded around him. Daisy bounced up and down, waving her arms. "Wario, pass it to me!"

He nodded and passed the ball to Daisy. She dribbled it across the court, closer to the toads' basket. Once she was close enough, Daisy launched the ball into the hoop. Two points. Only thirty seconds left.

Next, the ball was passed to the Jackson jaguars. Coach Bradman blew his whistle. One of the jaguars dribbled the ball to her side of the court. Two toads crowded around her. She narrowed her eyes and tried to pass the ball to one of her teammates.

Mario got in the way and caught the ball. He dribbled across the court, back towards the toads' side. He threw the ball in the basket. Two more points. The score was now 21-20.

A low _BEEP!_ went off. The game was over. The toads had won the season for the second year in the row.

The toads cheered and gave each other high-fives while the jaguars pouted and sulked. The band played the school song. Everyone in the bleachers stood and cheered. Everyone except Luigi. Sitting alone, he wondered why he wanted Mario to miss that winning shot.

It was last year all over again. Mario was the star player. Only this time, Luigi couldn't get a role in a play no matter how much he tried. He auditioned for many plays at the community theater, but was turned down every time.

As Luigi's parents drove him home, the boy in green stared out the window. Daisy was having a party, so Mario was spending the night at her house. Luckily, her dad let her go see Zombies vs. Aliens with them a couple weeks ago, but that wasn't all. She and Mario had been spending a lot more time together than usual. It wouldn't bother Luigi if he was included, but no. It was just them.

Once he got home, Luigi went to his room and let everything loose. He groaned and sat on his bed. "It's not fair," He muttered. "Why is Mario getting all the attention? What am I doing wrong?"

 _Don't say that, Luigi. You're not doing anything wrong. You're so much better than the rest of those swine._

Luigi's eyes widened. That voice. It sounded so similar to his own. He jumped and looked around. "W-What!? W-Who said that?"

 _Over here._

The boy in green looked and saw a shadow figure at the edge of the bed. The only feature Luigi could make out was his silver eyes. He backed up against the bed. "W-Who are you?"

The shadow laughed. _Don't be afraid. I'm the part of yourself that you wish to keep away from others. I am your best kept secret. I am your shadow self._

"M-My shadow self?"

 _Yes. Everyone has one._

Luigi took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "O-Okay, Shadow. Um...What are you doing here?"

 _I'd like to help you with your problem._

"My problem?"

The shadow nodded. _Yes. It takes the form of an oblivious older brother. I'd like to take you to a place where you'll never have to deal with him again._

The boy in green shook his head. "I can't do that! I have a family here! I-I have Daisy!"

The figure laughed. It was a hallow, empty sound. _How much longer can you hold on to your precious little flower?_

Luigi turned away. "Please leave me alone. I have a lot on my mind."

The shadow sighed. _Very well. I was just trying to help._

With that, the figure disappeared. Luigi stared at where it was, uncertain. He almost regretted turning its offer down.

A few days later, Luigi headed towards Mario's room with a bowl of popcorn. Daisy was spending the night again. The two of them were watching a movie together. Mario asked Luigi if he could get them some popcorn. As much as Luigi wanted to join them, he kept his distance. He was afraid of them saying no to him.

Luigi cracked the door open. "Mario, I got your-"

He froze. Mario and Daisy were locked in a passionate kiss.

The wind knocked out of him. Luigi put the bowl on a nearby desk and shut the door. The boy in green rushed to his room in tears. He yanked the door open and slammed it behind him. _BAM!_ Sliding his back against the door, Luigi buried his face in his hands and sobbed quietly.

* * *

 _CRASH!_ Waluigi slammed Luigi into the locker. The latter slid against the cold metal and fell to the floor. He tried to get up, but his cousin kicked him in the chest. Luigi groaned and sunk back into the ground.

"Aw, what's wrong, little Wee-gee?" Waluigi grabbed Luigi by the shirt collar and made him look into his eyes. "Too scared to fight back?"

Luigi gulped. Blood leaked out of his split lips. "L-Leave me alone or I'll..."

"You'll what?" Waluigi sneered. He pushed him back into the locker. "You'll call for your big brother to come save you? Or will you start crying?"

Waluigi and his friends laughed. Luigi was silent. He started to tear up.

"Hey!" A voice called out. Daisy was on the other end of the hall. "What the hell is going on here?"

Luigi shook his head. "N-No, Daisy..."

Waluigi rolled his eyes. "Stay out of this, Sarasa."

"No! I won't stand by and let you pick on my friend!"

The boy in purple laughed. "This wimp is your friend!? Why would you want to be friends with someone so pathetic!?" The others laughed along with him.

Daisy clenched her fists. "Leave him alone."

Waluigi smirked. "Or what?"

The girl bared her teeth and growled. She walked up to Waluigi and punched him in the nose. The boys gasped. She turned her attention to the others. "Are you idiots gonna flap your lips or do as I say!?" With that, Waluigi and the others ran away.

Luigi wiped his tears and looked up. Daisy was holding a hand out for him. He took it and stood. "T-Thanks, Daisy..."

Daisy grinned. "No problem. I can't stand bullies." She grabbed Luigi's arm. "Come on."

She took Luigi to one of the gender-neutral bathrooms. There was only one toilet in it, so they didn't have to worry about privacy. The girl locked the door and cleaned Luigi's wounds. "Are you sure you don't want to go to the nurse?"

The boy in green shook his head. "She might call my parents. I don't want them to get involved."

She wiped his bloody lips with a paper towel. "Well, maybe they should get involved. How long has this been going on?"

"About a week or so."

Daisy sighed. "Luigi..."

"We can go to the principal after this and tell him what's been happening," Luigi muttered. Waluigi and the others did this before school, when the halls were mostly empty, so this was the first time they were caught. He had been kept quiet about it so far; not even Mario knew this was going on. Still, he was tired of being picked on.

Daisy nodded. "They'll get detention at worst and suspension at best."

Luigi looked at his crush and winced. "Daisy...There's something I have to tell you."

"What is it?"

"There's this girl I like. I love her more than anything else in the world, but she doesn't feel the same way. What should I do?"

Daisy's eyes flashed with concern. "How do you know she doesn't feel the same way?"

"She has a boyfriend."

"Who is it? Maybe I can talk to her."

Luigi bit his lip. "You." Her eyes widened. He sighed and turned away. "I'm sorry."

Daisy shook her head. "No, it's okay. I just..." She sighed. "I made a commitment to your brother. I can't leave him."

"You don't have to. I just thought you should know."

She smiled sweetly. "Are we still friends?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Still friends."

With that, Daisy gave Luigi a hug. He was surprised at first, but returned the embrace. It was the closest he would ever get from Daisy.

* * *

The Crimson Flame saw the beams coming. His eyes grew wide. He dodged the beams. Next, he hurled fire at Ultraviolet. The purple warrior changed his staff into a shield and took cover. Next, he his shield back into a staff.

He shot more beams at The Crimson Flame. The red warrior dodged the first two, but the third one hit him in the chest. He felt his skin burn. He screamed and hit the hard dirt with a loud _THUD!_

Ultraviolet grinned. He stepped on The Crimson Flame's chest. The red warrior groaned. His staff began to glow. The Crimson Flame shut his eyes, preparing for the worst. _BOOM!_

* * *

Luigi picked at the spaghetti that he brought from home. Normally, he would be eager to eat at this time of day, but he didn't have much of an appetite now. The conversation he had with Daisy yesterday was still fresh in his mind.

As if on cue, Daisy sat down with Luigi. "Hey, Wee-gee."

Luigi tried to smile at her, but he couldn't. Not with those kind, sincere eyes staring back at him. Instead, he gave up and turned back to his lunch. "Hey. I'm really sorry about yesterday."

"Don't worry about it. Everything's fine."

He turned to her with a worried expression. "Are you sure?"

Daisy nodded. "Yeah, of course."

Just then, Mario came. He put his tray down next to Daisy and set his backpack aside. "Hi, Daisy!"

Daisy's smile faltered. "Oh. Hey, Mario."

Mario wore a look of concern. "You doing okay, sweetheart?"

"I'm fine." She stood. "I'm gonna go get some food. Be right back."

"Okay!" Mario replied. However, as soon as she left, he sighed and started eating his peas.

"What's wrong, Mario?" Luigi asked.

"I'm just worried about Daisy. She's been awfully quiet lately. I'm not sure what the problem is."

Luigi felt a wave of dread. His stomach tightened up. "She hasn't told you?"

Mario shook his head. "Nope. Whenever I ask, she dodges the question. I'm not sure how to get her to talk to me."

Luigi bit his lip. He knew exactly what the problem was. He was surprised that Daisy hadn't told Mario about what happened. "How long has she been acting like this?"

"Ever since yesterday," Mario lifted his gaze. "Speaking of which, Wario told me that Waluigi was picking on you. He got a week of detention. I forgot to mention it last night. You alright?"

"Yeah, Daisy helped me out." Luigi hesitated before saying the next part. "Mario, I think I know what the problem is."

"What is it?"

The boy in green sighed. "Yesterday...I told Daisy I liked her."

Mario's eyes widened. "What!?"

"I'm sorry! I couldn't help myself!"

"But she's my girlfriend! Why didn't you talk to me about this?"

"I didn't think you would take it well," Luigi replied, looking down. "It just sorta slipped out."

"But this could end our relationship!" Mario persisted. His tone was getting more irritated. "Why didn't you think before you told her?"

"Because..." The younger brother began. He tried to think of a good enough reason to satisfy Mario. Instead, he blurted out, "Because I'm tired of you getting all the attention!"

The boy in red scrunched his nose. He looked as if he had just sipped saltwater. "What?"

Luigi knew he was playing with fire, but couldn't stop. "You heard me! I'm tired of you getting Daisy and not me! I'm tired of you doing so well on the team while I don't get in any play I audition for! I'm tired of being seen as your kid brother all the time! We're twins, gosh-darn it!"

Mario glared, his patience running thin. "Luigi, this isn't about _you!_ This is about how you almost took Daisy away from me! Do you even like her?"

Luigi rolled his eyes. What kind of a stupid question was that? "Of course I like her! If I didn't, then I never would have told her that!"

"Well, maybe you should've kept it to yourself! What? Did you feel so bad about yourself that you had to go out of your way to make my life worse?"

The younger brother glared. "I was never trying to make your life worse! God, all you ever think about is yourself!"

"Well, you know what!? I'm sick of you blaming me for all of your problems! This is just like that time in middle school when you were jealous because I was dating Pauline and you couldn't get a girlfriend!"

"I'm not angry at you because I can't get a girlfriend! You never listen to me!"

"JUST SHUT UP!" Mario shouted. He slapped Luigi across the face. The other students gasped. That was when Mario realized they had an audience. He looked at all the shocked faces, then at Luigi. He wore the same expression as the other students, only he also had pain in his eyes.

Mario's throat was filled with cotton. "Luigi, I'm..."

Before he could apologize, Luigi glared and slapped him back. Mario felt his remorse fade. He grabbed his brother and pinned him to the ground. The two started punching each other and pulling at their cowlicks. Students crowded around them, cheering the same word over and over. "FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!" Mario and Luigi couldn't care less. The only thing that mattered to them was their own anger and pain.

The brothers didn't notice Daisy come back with her tray of food. "Mario? Luigi?"

Luigi kicked Mario in the stomach. Mario fell on the floor, his back sore. Luigi got on top of Mario and punched him in the face.

Daisy put her tray on the table and shoved past the crowd. "Guys, stop!" She grabbed her boyfriend and held him back. Mario struggled in her grip.

Peach watched the fight with concern in her eyes. "What's going on?" She asked Daisy.

"Peach, get a teacher! Hurry!" The tomboy cried. Peach nodded and left. Daisy turned her attention back to the boys. "What's gotten into you two?"

Mario tried to grab at Luigi. He didn't have much results. Just then, Peach came back with the teacher. She was a short woman who wore her brown hair in a bun. "What's going on here?" The teacher asked. She made her way past the students and broke Mario and Luigi apart. "Stop it! Both of you!"

The boys finally settled down. The teacher turned to the crowd. "All of you, move along." With that, the students slowly dispersed, murmuring about the fight. She turned back to the boys. "You two are coming with me."

A few minutes later, the boys sat in the counselor's office. The counselor was an older man with gray curly hair and dark blue eyes. He frowned. "So, let me get this straight. You two were fighting over a girl?"

Luigi shook his head. "We weren't fighting over that! It started out that way, but that's not what I'm mad about." He pointed to his brother. "I'm sick of him thinking that he's better than me."

"Well, I'm sick of you following me around like a lost puppy!" Mario snapped. "Why don't you get your own life?"

"Boys, that's enough," The counselor interrupted. "You've both earned three days of suspension. We expect more from our students, especially a pair of brothers."

Mario and Luigi looked at each other, glared, then looked away.

* * *

The Crimson Flame felt no pain. He slowly opened one eye. He gasped and opened both eyes, not believing what he saw. White Flower stood in between The Crimson Flame and Ultraviolet. Her orange eyes were impossibly wide. She dropped her katana blades. _CLANG!_ She fell to the ground, her body limp. _THUD!_

The Crimson Flame stared in shock, then turned his attention towards Ultraviolet. He narrowed his eyes and walked towards him. The purple warrior stared at White Flower in shock. Before he had time to react, The Crimson Flame grabbed his right hand and squeezed it.

Ultraviolet cried out. His hand grew warm. That warmth quickly escalated to burning heat. The purple warrior screamed. The Crimson Flame let go of his hand. Ultraviolet stepped back. His skin was now a burnt red, some patches being dark brown. He screamed again in agony.

The Crimson Flame rushed to White Flower's side. He sat down and put her head on his lap. The red warrior stroked his her hair. Her chest was bleeding.

White Flower opened her eyes, taking shallow breaths. "G-Go on without me," She whispered. "I'm useless without my strength." As she said her next words, her orange eyes slowly turned blue. "You can't afford to waste any time on me. He needs you."

The Crimson Flame felt his stomach tighten. It shouldn't have to be this way. He shouldn't have to choose between _him_ and the girl he loved, but it came to that. This was what she wanted.

The red warrior closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes, he gave a reluctant nod.

White Flower smiled. "Don't worry. We'll meet again in the other world."

The Crimson Flame nodded. He took her hand and planted a kiss on it. Then he stood and turned back to Ultraviolet. The purple warrior was still screaming, his staff abandoned. The red warrior picked up his staff. He would need it for later on. With that, he reluctantly left his love and enemy behind.

* * *

Needless to say, Mama and Papa didn't react well when they heard the boys were suspended. After both parents got home from work, Mama told the boys to come to the living room, saying she needed to speak with them. Both brothers knew what she really meant; they had to sit on the couch while their parents lectured them.

"We got a call from the school," Mama began. "Boys, how could you get into a fight? You're better than this!"

Neither of the brothers said anything.

Papa crossed his arms. "When do you serve your suspension?"

"It's in-school suspension," Mario muttered. "We have to go to the ISS room on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Apparently, we're spending three days there to get our work done instead of going to class."

Papa sighed. "Well, you're both grounded for the week. No going out, no having friends over. I'm sorry, but you need to learn your lesson."

Mario crossed his arms and glared at Luigi. The latter stared at the ground. Their parents were surprised at both of them, but they were more surprised at their younger son. Luigi was peaceful and hated fighting. Plus, they recently found out that Waluigi had been bullying him. Why would he want to inflict that same pain on his brother?

Luckily, their days in suspension went by fast. On Monday, the boys went back to class. Every now and then, students would come up to the brothers, asking about the fight.

"Did Mario really slap you in the face?"

"What was it like to beat up Luigi?"

Even Peach couldn't resist asking about it, only she was more polite than the others. "Are you guys okay?"

Aside from all the questions, there was one more crucial difference: Mario and Luigi avoided each other all day. They ignored each other whenever they passed by in the halls. At lunch, Mario sat with Daisy and a few mutual friends of theirs while Luigi ate alone.

During sixth hour, Luigi asked if he could use the restroom. His chemistry teacher, Professor E. Gadd, nodded and handed him the restroom pass. "Just don't take too long, Sonny."

He nodded and left the room. As he walked down the hall, he heard two familiar voices. He turned to one classroom in particular. The door to the Algebra classroom was open.

Luigi pressed his back against the wall. He poked his head in, making sure no one could see him. Mario and Daisy were talking to each other. The boy in green was too far away to make out what was being said, but he knew that they were happy together. He sighed and turned away.

 _Are you still sulking over your bitter loss?_

Luigi's shadow was standing next to him. He sighed and turned away. This wasn't the first time his shadow self came unannounced. "I thought I told you not to talk to me at school."

 _Face it, Luigi. She doesn't want you. Nobody wants you here._

The boy in green groaned. "I'm not going to listen to you. Why don't you just go away?"

The shadow chuckled. _Oh, Luigi. If they really want you here, why aren't you in the play?_

"Well...That's because..."

 _Why does your cousin torment you non-stop? Why does Daisy love Mario and not you?_ Luigi was silent. The shadow smirked. _She's blind to reality. Everyone here is. They all put Crimson on a pedestal while you're left in the dust._

Luigi blinked a few times. "Crimson?"

 _His cap, Luigi._

Luigi looked at Mario's red cap and frowned. "Oh. You meant that." He hesitated. "I-I don't know..."

 _I'm giving you an easy way out. You can stay here and be the laughing stock of Toadstool High, or you can be who you deserve to be. You can rule over all of them._

The boy in green bit his lip.

 _What's the matter? Would you rather watch your brother get all the attention? He hates you, Luigi. He only sees you as his wimpy little brother, a pest who follows him around. You have no place here. You belong with me._ The shadow held out his hand. _So, what do you say?_

Luigi looked at Mario and Daisy one last time. Daisy laughed at something Mario said, then leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the nose.

Luigi turned away and took the shadow's hand. "Let's get out of here," He said in a low voice. "I'm sick of this place."

The shadow grinned. _I couldn't agree with you more._

It had taken all day to get Daisy to accept Mario's apology. As the day went on, Mario realized that he meant it. He was really starting to miss Luigi. He decided that he would apologize the next time he saw him. After Daisy gave him a kiss on the nose, Mario thought he saw something. There was a cloud of darkness, just outside the classroom. "Huh?"

"What's wrong, Mario?" Daisy asked.

Mario looked back and saw nothing there. He grinned and shook his head. "Nothing. I thought I saw something."

* * *

The Crimson Flame entered the broken castle. He put Ultraviolet's staff beside the entrance, then went to find him. He made sure to take slow and steady steps. The ground was in a checkerboard design, green and white tiles spanning across the wide stretch of the floor. His footsteps echoed as he got further inside. The Crimson Flame felt like he was being watched again; only this time, he knew that it wasn't Goldrush or Ultraviolet.

Finally, The Crimson Flame stopped. He stared up at the figure who sat on his throne. The man wore a dark green tunic with black socks and shoes. He also wore a black cape that wrapped around his back and shoulders. He had thick brown hair and metallic silver eyes.

The Crimson Flame felt his heart pounding in his chest. It was _him._ The one he had been looking for. He was _right there._

This man was his best friend. He had known him since they were born. This was the one he played video games with, rode bikes with, the one that he taught to swim. This was the actor who stood on the stage that one blissful night. Now, because of one simple mistake, his best friend became his worst enemy.

The Green Thunder.

* * *

 _Zombies vs. Aliens made a cameo in this story! Do you guys know what other story of mine that game is from?_

 _If you're wondering whether or not I'm using Mr. L as Luigi's warrior counterpart (The Green Thunder), the answer is no. While I was inspired by Mr. L to use that name, it's not exactly the same interpretation here. For example, in my stories, Mr. L starts out as a negative influence on Luigi, but after the two work something out, their relationship becomes positive. The Green Thunder (Luigi's warrior counterpart) is the opposite. He is supposed to be Luigi's bravery and strength, but since Luigi is so insecure, he turns into a negative influence._

 _To anyone who's familiar with Black Rock Shooter, you'll notice I added a lot of stuff in this chapter. That's because in the OVA, I didn't think Yomi had enough of a reason to leave. Sure, being the third wheel in a friendship sucks, but I don't think many people would run away for that reason. Luigi had no success in acting, was being bullied, had a fallout with his brother, and lost his crush to someone else. He's going through a harder time here._

 _The next chapter might take awhile because I'm taking a break to work on my original story. Hopefully, it won't take too long since I already have the whole thing planned out._

 _-Colorful and Free_


	4. Disappearance

_This chapter will be focus solely on the normal world, so don't expect any other world scenes. Next chapter will be about the other world. Hopefully, you'll see why I arranged it this way later._

* * *

It had been 25 minutes since school went out. Mario sat on a bench in front of the school, tapping his foot. "Where are you?"

"Hey, Mario," A voice said. Mario turned. Daisy sat next to him. "What's up?"

"Have you seen Luigi? He's so late. He's usually out here by 3:15."

Daisy shrugged. "He wasn't at art today. I assumed he went home sick."

Mario blinked. "Luigi wasn't there?"

"Nope. Who's his sixth hour teacher?"

The boy in red took a moment to think. "Professor Gadd, I think."

"Let's go ask him."

Mario agreed and the two went back inside. The halls were drained with the exception of a few students. Some rooms were empty while others were hosting after-school clubs. They went to the third floor and knocked on the chemistry room.

Professor Elvin Gadd opened the door. He would've been bald if it weren't for the single tuft of white hair on his head. He wore big, round blue glasses. Although he should've retired long ago, this was supposedly his last year at Toadstool High.

"Why, hello, Mario. Young lady," Professor E. Gadd nodded to Daisy. "What are you two doing here so late? Chemistry club is only on Thursdays."

"We're looking for Luigi," Mario explained. "We're usually on the bus by now, but he hasn't shown up yet."

"And we have seventh hour together, but he wasn't there today," Daisy added. "Have you seen him?"

The professor nodded. "As a matter of fact, I have." He explained how Luigi was there during sixth hour and how he had to use the restroom near the end of class. "See, I don't usually let kids go at the end of the hour, but I trusted him to be here before the bell rang. He came back later than usual. I asked what took him so long and he stared at me for a long while, not saying anything." The elderly man stroked his chin. "Now that I really think about it, there was something off about him..."

Daisy blinked. "Something off? What do you mean?"

"His eyes..." E. Gadd shook his head. "No, that must've been my imagination. Unless...Did Sonny get silver contacts recently?"

Mario and Daisy shook their heads. The professor shrugged. "Well, anyway, he gave me back the pass and said he had to leave early. He looked so pale. I thought he got sick, so I told him to go to the nurse's office. I think Sonny just went home and forgot to tell you."

Mario let out a sigh of relief. He still found the situation odd, but at least he knew where Luigi was now. "Thank you, professor."

The professor smiled and nodded. "Anytime, Mario. Tell Sonny to get better for me."

"Will do." With that, Mario said goodbye to Daisy and headed outside. Luigi would need a good talking to once he got home.

After taking the late bus, Mario went to his house. He unlocked the door and walked inside. Setting his stuff down, he called out, "Luigi, I'm home!" No answer. Mario furrowed his brows. "Luigi?" He whispered. Worry began creeping back in.

"He's probably still mad at me..." The boy in red cupped his hands around his mouth. "Hey, Luigi!~" He pronounced each syllable of his name slowly. Silence.

Mario began checking all the rooms in the house. He started with Luigi's bedroom. His room was perfectly neat, as usual, but Luigi wasn't there. Next, he looked in the kitchen, dining room, and laundry room. While checking the bathroom, he found the toilet was clear. Luigi couldn't have gotten sick recently. Finally, Mario checked his father's study. Nothing.

Mario pulled out his cell phone and called Luigi's number. He put the phone to his ear and waited. After a long period of silence, Mario got a voicemail. _Hi, it's Luigi. I'm probably studying right now, so leave a message real quick and I'll get right back to you!_

He groaned and called his father's number. This time, he got a response. "Hello?"

"Hi, Papa. It's Mario."

Papa's tone became friendlier. "Hey, Mario. What is it?"

"Did the nurse call the school earlier today?"

Papa sounded confused. "No, she didn't. Why?"

"Well...I heard Luigi went home sick, but I can't find him anywhere."

"Did you check all the rooms in the house?"

Mario nodded instinctively. "Yeah, I did."

"Hmm...Well, maybe I can help you find him after I get home from work. I'll call your mother too. Just sit tight. Okay, Mario?"

"Okay, Papa."

"Alright. I'll see you tonight. Bye."

With that, Papa hang up. Mario sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He sent a text message to Luigi, asking where he was. He already sent one just like it when he was waiting at the school. Mario even left a message. "Hey, Luigi. Look, it's..." Mario checked the clock. "4 o'clock and I can't find you anywhere. You're starting to freak me out. Just call back, okay?"

At five-thirty, Mama and Papa came home. "Hello, Mario," Mama said. "Has Luigi come home yet?"

Mario shook his head. Mama frowned and whipped out her cell phone. "I'll call the school. Mario, can you try his cell phone?"

"I already did that, Mama, and I sent a text message. He won't answer."

Mama turned to Papa. "Marco, maybe we should call the police. I'm really starting to get worried..."

"We can't. Luigi has to be missing for a full 24 hours for them to respond."

Mama bit her lip. "Well, I really hope Luigi won't be missing for that long."

After some thinking, Papa said, "We'll ask the neighbors. Hopefully, they've seen him."

She nodded. "Alright then..."

"Come on, Lily. We can go together." Papa turned to his oldest son. "Mario, keep texting and calling until Luigi responds."

With that, both parents left the house. Mario stared at the door. Not knowing what else to do, he wrote another text. _Mama and Papa are getting worried and so am I. Please reply._

It turned out none of the neighbors had seen Luigi since that morning. The rest of the day, the family waited. Mario called and texted multiple times, but it changed nothing. Luigi didn't come home that night.

* * *

The next morning, Mario went to school. He dragged himself inside the building, yawning and rubbing his eyes. His cup of coffee didn't help much. At the very least, the caffeine was taking a _long_ time to kick in.

Daisy noticed him and started to say something, but stopped when she noticed how tired he was. "Mario, are you okay? You look exhausted."

"I am exhausted," Mario muttered. "Luigi still hasn't come home. I hardly got any sleep last night."

Daisy's eyes widened. "He wasn't there?"

"Nope. I was hoping he'd be here at school."

"I haven't seen him. Mario, maybe we should ask Uncle Peter. He can make an announcement for the whole school."

Mario blinked. At first, he didn't have the slightest idea why Daisy was bringing up her uncle. Then he remembered: Peach and Daisy were cousins. She was talking about the principal. "Mama and Papa already called the school last night."

The girl flashed a hopeful smile. "Well...I'll go talk to him again. Maybe he saw Luigi this morning."

The boy in red shrugged. "If you think it will help…"

That afternoon, Mario sat in Algebra. Although the teacher was in the middle of a lecture, Mario wasn't paying attention in the slightest. His mind kept going back to Luigi. Apparently, Daisy didn't get any new information out of the principal. Where could he have gone?

Suddenly, his phone light up. Mario got a new text message from his father. He opened it, his blood going cold as he read.

 _Your mother and I can't wait anymore. We've called the police. Come meet me at the office as soon as you can._

"Mario, put your phone away," The teacher said with a firm tone.

Mario stood. "Ma'am, it's my father. He wants me to meet him at the office."

His teacher frowned. "May I see the text?" Mario handed his phone over, knowing it wasn't a question. The teacher read the text, mouthing the words. She gave the phone back to Mario. In a softer tone, she said, "Go get your things."

Mario nodded and put his things in his bag, then left the classroom. He heard kids whispering about him as he left. A lot of them were still hung up about the fight. As if that mattered anymore.

Mario went to the office. Papa offered a sad smile, his brown eyes shining with pain. It looked as if he were about to cry. "Hey, kiddo."

Mario hugged his father. "Papa...I really miss Luigi."

Papa patted his back. "I know. I do too." He let go of him. "Come on. The police have some questions for you."

Papa took Mario home in his car. When they returned home, Mama was sitting on the couch. She lit up when they walked in the door. "Oh, there he is! Mario!" She rushed to him and gave him a hug. She held on for so long that Mario wondered what kind of thoughts were running through his mother's head. Did she think he would disappear too if she let go? Eventually, she did let go and pointed to the couch. "Sit down. These officers are here to help us find Luigi."

Mario glanced at the two officers. They were both middle aged men. One of them had dark hair and glasses while the other one was bald and muscular. If it wasn't for Mama, he might not have noticed them. Mario nodded numbly and sat on the couch.

The bald officer introduced himself as Officer Davis and his partner as Officer Carter. Next, they stated facts Mario already knew: Luigi went to school yesterday, but didn't come home. No one had seen him since. After that spiel, Officer Davis told Mario that they needed to question him. "We really don't have much to go off of regarding your brother's case. We were hoping you could provide us with more information. Do you think you could answer a few questions for us?" The bald officer asked.

Mario nodded. Officer Davis gave his partner a curt nod. Officer Carter pulled out his notebook and adjusted his glasses. "When was the last time you saw your brother?"

Mario looked to the side and whispered, "Yesterday."

"We're going to need you to speak up, son," Officer Davis instructed.

Mario repeated the word, but louder. "Yesterday."

Officer Carter wrote that down. "Where was he the last time you saw him?"

"He was at school with me. I was eating lunch with my girlfriend and a couple of our friends. Luigi..." Mario swallowed hard. "Luigi was eating by himself."

"Was there anything unusual about his behavior?" Officer Carter asked.

"Well, I talked to his chemistry teacher yesterday after school. He thought that Luigi got sick because he was so pale. I don't know why he was acting that way."

The officer wrote more in his notebook. "Did your brother had any motives for running away?"

Mario was about to say no, then he remembered the fight. "He was mad at me. We got into a fight last week at school."

The officer raised an eyebrow. "A physical fight?"

Mario nodded. "Yes. We were both suspended for three days."

"Could you please elaborate on that?"

Mario took a deep breath. "Well, I found out he had a crush on my girlfriend, Daisy. I got mad at him. I thought he was trying to break us apart. Then he said..." He swallowed hard. His throat suddenly felt dry. "H-He said that he was sick of me doing well on the basketball team while he never gets into any plays he auditions for. He was Romeo last fall, but he's been having bad luck this year. And he said that he was tired of being seen as my baby brother even though we're twins..."

Mama grabbed his hand. "Mario..."

"I slapped him, then we started fighting. W-We haven't had a real conversation since." Tears trailed down his cheeks. "I-I was so stupid. It's my fault Luigi ran away. If it wasn't for me...He'd still..."

That was the breaking point. Mario sobbed, unable to continue. He had been so mean to Luigi just because he happened to like Daisy too. Why had he been so stupid? Mama hugged Mario. She held him tightly, just like when he was little.

Papa sighed. "Officers, I think that's all he's going to say..."

* * *

It had been a week since Luigi's disappearance. The Mario family still saw no sign of him. At first, Mario was almost too hopeful. He would go in public and see a green sweater out of the corner of his eye. He'd light up and quickly turn only to see a stranger wearing green. Other times, he'd hear Luigi's voice, but it would only be his imagination. Still, he kept his eyes peeled, waiting for Luigi to come back.

The following Monday, Mario went to the principal before school to ask if he could hang up missing posters. Luckily, he said yes. "Good luck finding your brother," Principal Toadstool added. He had blonde hair and blue eyes, just like Peach. "This school isn't the same without him."

Mario thanked him. He went out with his stack of posters and decided to hang them on the cork-board first. He fought for space among the many club announcements and upcoming events. Once he found enough space, he started pinning posters up.

"Hey, Mario."

Mario turned. It was Waluigi. The boy in red glared. "What do you want?"

Waluigi shrugged. "I just wanted to wish you good luck finding Luigi."

Mario huffed. He hung another poster up, practically stabbing the push pin into the cork-board. He waited for Waluigi to go away, but he just stood there, waiting. Mario knew he wouldn't leave until he got a response, so he asked, "Why do you care? You were the one who picked on him non-stop! Wario told me all about what you've been doing to him."

"Look, I know I was a jerk, alright!? I-"

"If you knew, then why did you do it!?" Mario interrupted.

He groaned. "I did it because I hate myself! Your brother is so much better than me! He's nice and a better actor and he has more friends than I do! He was an easy target! But now that I made him go missing…" He trailed off.

Mario glanced at Waluigi. To his surprise, he was wearing a look of remorse. The boy in purple shook his head, as if apologizing was too much for him. Maybe it was. "I just couldn't live with myself if Luigi got hurt or even killed out there because of me."

The boy in red grew tense. "Who said anything about Luigi getting killed?"

There was a moment of silence. Waluigi sighed. "Forget it." With that, he turned and talked away. At the last second, he turned back. "If you ever find him, tell him I'm sorry."

Mario went back to hanging up posters, refusing to acknowledge his cousin any longer. Once the bell rang, he went to Anatomy reluctantly. He sat in his chair and got out his textbook. Daisy sat next to him, as usual. For once, he didn't want her there. He just wanted to be alone.

Instead, Daisy greeted him. "Hey, Mario."

Mario didn't look at her. "Hey."

"Any luck finding him?"

He sighed. "No, Daisy. No luck."

Her smile faltered. "Oh. Well, maybe you'll find him today!"

Mario frowned. He knew Daisy was just trying to help, but this was too much. "Daisy, I don't want to sound rude, but can you please leave me alone?"

She was silent for a few seconds. "Okay, Mario. I guess I'll just have to come out and say it. I'm really worried about you. And so is Peach."

"I'm still here. It's Luigi you should be worried about."

"Mario, you're important too! Don't get me wrong. I _love_ Luigi. He's like the older brother I never had. But I don't think he would want you to be sad." The boy in red was silent. "You have to stay positive and believe Luigi is going to come back."

Mario turned to face her and raised his voice. "And what if he doesn't? What if I never see him again?" She jumped. He sighed and lowered his voice. "I'm sorry…"

"It's okay. I know you miss him, but we're going to get him back. And if he doesn't show up...I'll go with you to find him."

He smiled. Maybe she understood more than he thought. "Thanks, Daisy."

* * *

That night, Mario sat on his bed. He had his textbook out along with a pencil and paper. At first glance, you would see a boy studying diligently. However, it would take a few more seconds to notice the small details that gave Mario away. If you looked closely, you would notice his eyes, glued to the paper but staring at nothing in particular. You would notice the purple bags underneath them and how he struggled to stay awake. You would notice how easily Mario was breaking apart.

Mario took a deep breath and repeated Daisy's words to himself. "Stay positive. He's coming back." He had to focus. Problem number 24...

 _PING!_ Mario immediately grabbed his phone. He saw the flashing envelope on screen, indicating he got a new text.

It was from Luigi.

Mario gasped and whispered his brother's name. He opened the text and saw the numbers: 451920181525/318913191514/6121135

Mario blinked. "What is this? Some kinda code?" He stared at the numbers for a few minutes, trying to make sense of them. Then it hit him. When they were kids, Mario and Luigi liked passing notes to each other in class. Eventually, the teacher found them, so they started speaking in code. Each number corresponded to its letter in the alphabet. 1 was A, 2 was B, and so on.

The boy in red didn't waste any time. He shut his notebook, leaving his homework inside. He spent the next ten minutes decoding the message. He was right about the code, though its message was even more cryptic.

It read, _DESTROY CRIMSON FLAME._

Mario blinked. "Destroy Crimson Flame? W-What does this even mean?" Mario texted back. _Luigi, what are you talking about? Why did you send me this? Where are you?_ As an afterthought, he added, _I don't even care if you wanna talk in code. I just want you here._

After a few moments of silence, Mario tried one last time to call Luigi. He dialed the number and put the phone to his ear, waiting. It went to voicemail for the thousandth time. Mario groaned and decided to call someone else. He dialed her number and waited. For a moment, he worried she had already gone to sleep.

Then he heard her voice. "Hello?"

Mario lit up. "Daisy! It's me, Mario."

"I know. I have caller ID." She yawned. "What's up?"

"Meet me at the park! I got a text from Luigi!"

Daisy's voice grew a lot more excited. "What!? Really!? What did it say?"

"It had some kind of code in it. I'm not sure what it means, but it might be a clue."

"Hmm. I'll ask my dad if he can-"

Mario shook his head. "No, don't! He won't let you go! Just...Find a way out!"

Daisy was silent for a few seconds. "Are you telling me to sneak out?"

Mario rolled his eyes. "Daisy, you know that Luigi is more important than some stupid rules!"

The other end was quiet again. "I'll see what I can do."

"I'll be at the park in ten minutes." Mario hung up and grabbed his brown boots. He also slipped on his red jacket. Mario thought about changing out of his shorts, but decided against it. He didn't have time. He left the room and went to the door.

"Mario?"

Mario froze. Darn it. He was caught. He turned to face his mother. She wore a worried look on her face. "Where are you going? It's getting late."

He didn't have time for this. He quickly blurred out, "Daisy's house!" Next, he opened the door and stepped outside.

"Mario, wait!"

The boy in red ignored his mother. Despite her calls for him to come back inside, Mario went through the gate and headed into the front yard. He ran past the houses and apartments, only stopping occasionally to catch his breath. He almost expected to hear his mother's footsteps behind him, but the one time he looked back, no one was behind him.

Finally, Mario arrived at the park. He looked around frantically, not seeing Daisy anywhere. However, he noticed a gleam in the darkness. Mario looked back and saw an object sticking out of the grass. He approached it and picked it up. He gasped. Luigi's cell phone.

Mario felt his stomach sink. Luigi wasn't here. He must've lost his phone before he went missing. But if that was the case, how could he have sent the message earlier? Had he been there recently? Mario's mind raced with possibilities.

There was something else Mario noticed: Luigi's wallpaper. It was the photo from the first day of high school. The one he took on the bus. He once had that same photo as his wallpaper. He didn't know when he changed it to a picture of Daisy.

Mario felt the tears coming before he even knew he was crying. He held the phone to his chest. "Luigi, where are you? Please don't do this." Lowering his voice to a whisper, he added, "I love you, little bro..."

At first, he didn't notice the wind rushing by. It was a gentle breeze at first, calm and quiet. Then the wind blew harder, faster, and more urgently. Mario wiped his tears and looked around. When had it gotten so windy?

Suddenly, a bright light flashed. Mario covered his eyes. Within seconds, he disappeared with the light.

* * *

 _I haven't actually played Luigi's Mansion, so I based E. Gadd on what I've seen in other fanfics and his page on the Mario wiki. I hope I portrayed him right._

 _Originally, I had a couple of Waluigi's friends taunting Luigi in place of Waluigi's apology. I decided that scene felt fake and wrote something else instead. I wanted to flesh out Waluigi a little more instead of leave him as the generic bully. Other than that, this chapter is pretty much identical to the first draft. I hope you liked that scene._

 _In case you're interested in checking out the Black Rock Shooter OVA, I would say that this chapter is the closest to the original source material. I took a lot of creative liberties with this story so that I wouldn't end up with a carbon copy of the anime. (You'll notice that a lot of fics based on already existing stories make this mistake a LOT.) There are a lot of differences with the anime and this story: For example, Yomi (Luigi's role) is part of the volleyball team while Luigi is a thespian._

 _Next chapter: The ultimate showdown between The Crimson Flame and The Green Thunder! Who will win!?_

 _-Colorful and Free_


	5. I'm Sorry

_Shout-out to ViolaHarmony for proofreading for me!_

* * *

The instant that Mario opened his eyes, he felt a wave of shock. He gasped and quickly examined his surroundings. He was in a plain white room with no furniture, no windows, and no doors. In fact, Mario wasn't even sure he could call it a room: it was just pure white as far as the eye could see.

"W-Where am I?" He whispered. The last thing he remembered was a flash of light. How did he get there? Where was the park? Apprehensively, Mario walked around the room. He kept looking around, searching for anyone who could help him. "Hello?"

Mario looked down at his hands and realized he was still holding Luigi's phone. He stared at the picture of him and his brother, smiling like they had no care in the world. He felt another strong yearning for Luigi and held the phone tighter.

 _Do you want to save your brother?_

Mario flinched and looked ahead. A boy his age stood a few feet in front of him. He looked exactly like Mario, only more rogue. He had brown messy hair and blue eyes with a circular pattern inside of them. He also had thick hairs above his lip that were starting to form a mustache. The boy wore torn clothing and a red cape around his shoulders.

The boy spoke again. _I can tell you care about each other very much._

It took was a few seconds for Mario to recover from his shock and register the boy's words. "You know where Luigi is?" The boy nodded. Mario let out a sigh of relief. Waluigi was wrong; Luigi was still alive! "Oh, please. Where is he?"

The boy hesitated. _With The Green Thunder, no doubt._

Mario furrowed his brows. "...The Green Thunder?"

He nodded. _Yes. The Green Thunder is my brother. We were once partners, but things changed._ Lowering his voice, the boy added, _He changed._ For a moment, the boy broke his stoic demeanor and wore a pained look on his face. A few seconds later, he shook his head and returned to a neutral stare. _But that's_ _not important. I just need you to come with me. We'll fuse and I'll get your brother back for you. I promise._

Mario gulped. This was a lot to take in. Who was this boy? He knew this stranger was responsible for his arrival. He didn't have to say so; Mario just knew it. However, there was one thing that troubled him the most. "W-Why do we have to fuse? Why can't you just take me to Luigi?"

The rogue boy shook his head. _I don't have the will to attack Green, but you don't have the strength to fight the opposition._ _That's why we have to go together. So, I'll ask again...Do you want to save your brother?_

Mario hesitated. He didn't know this boy at all, even though he felt so familiar. The path to his brother might also be dangerous. Mario didn't understand fully, but from what the boy said, he would have to fight. He wasn't sure he could hurt other people, especially after what happened with Luigi.

Luigi...At the thought of that name, memories flashed before Mario's eyes. The first day of high school when they took that photo together. That night when he was in the play. Seeing the movie with Daisy. Suddenly, Mario made up his mind. There was no other option. "I'm not sure what you mean by 'save him'...But if you'll take me to Luigi, I'll go with you. I'm tired of waiting for him; I want him back. I don't care what it takes."

 _Thought so._ With that, the boy walked up to Mario and grabbed Luigi's cell phone. Mario's eyes widened and he reached for it, but his look-alike smiled softly. Mario relaxed and the boy put Luigi's phone in his pocket.

"I just have one question," Mario whispered. "Who are you?"

The boy took Mario's hands and held them firmly. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. _I..._

Just then, a bright red light started to glow from inside the both of them. Slowly, their energies began to combine into one. Mario felt his physical form disappear, but his essence joined with the other boy. Their voices turned into one as they both whispered in unison, "I am..."

When their fusion was complete, the red warrior opened his eyes. They blazed with fire. "The Crimson Flame."

* * *

The castle was cold, dark, and fragile, each piece of it ready to break. Every fiber in his being told him to leave and never return. Still, The Crimson Flame knew that the building itself wasn't to blame for this unwelcoming atmosphere: it was the warrior who sat on his throne, high above him. The Green Thunder frowned. He stared down at his enemy with icy, unfeeling eyes. He asked quietly, "What do you want?"

The Crimson Flame started to open his mouth.

"Wait. Don't tell me."

He closed it.

"You want to me to go with you. You want things to be the way they once were."

The Crimson Flame didn't respond. He was searching for a speck of blue in those silver eyes.

The Green Thunder looked away and muttered something under his breath. The Crimson Flame heard his words as if they were spoken into his ear. "I'm not him, you know." The dark clad warrior jerked his head back towards him, glaring. "And I'm not going with you! Why do you think I sent Goldrush and Ultraviolet?" He sighed and rubbed his temples. "Those fools...And here I thought I could trust them to get the job done."

The Crimson Flame offered his hand.

The Green Thunder grinned. He laughed for a long while. What happened next came with no warning. Without the slightest bit of hesitation, he shot green lighting. _ZAP!_ The Crimson Flame leaped into the air, barely missing his own electrocution. The lightning destroyed the floor and left large black marks. The green warrior stared in shock before letting out a feral growl, clenching his teeth. The red warrior closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, his left eye was on fire. He didn't want to do this, but he had no other choice.

The Green Thunder clutched his scythe. Without hesitating, he leaped from his throne. As soon as he jumped off, shadows wrapped him and slowed his fall. He landed on the ground gently before rushing towards his foe.

The Green Thunder tried to slash him, but The Crimson Flame moved out of the way. The former tried to hit him again multiple times, but the latter deflected each attack. At the last instance, The Green Thunder made one last forceful strike, shoving him aside roughly. The Crimson Flame moaned and reached for his side. The second his fingertips touched his bleeding scar, he felt a sharp sting and moved his hand away.

He knew he couldn't keep dodging. He inhaled deeply and summoned fire in his right hand, then launched fireballs towards his Green Thunder turned and ran from the small flames. One of the fireballs crashed into the ground right in front of him. As he ran the other way, The Crimson Flame made more fire and kept shooting them. The room quickly caught on fire, smoke making its way across the room.

The Crimson Flame coughed. He squinted, trying to see through the smoke. It took him a few seconds to see the figure in the distance. He narrowed his eyes. The Green Thunder strolled out of the smoke. The Crimson Flame summoned more fire. He bent his knees and made sure The Green Thunder could see his blazing hands. The intimidation had no effect. The Green Thunder slowly raised his scythe and pounded it into the ground.

In an instant, shadows spread across the room. Everything went dark. The Crimson Flame looked around frantically. He heard his heart pounding in his ears. He tried to summon fire, but his hands were shaking too much. _CRACK!_ The floor gave out underneath him. The red warrior felt a rush of fear as he fell into the darkness below. The Green Thunder stepped forward, watching him fall. After a moment, he leaped into the hole after him.

The Crimson Flame fell deeper and deeper into the ground. He looked up and saw The Green Thunder floating above him. The two fought, dodging and deflecting one another's attacks. The Green Thunder smiled deviously. He swiped and the red warrior leaned back, barely missing the scythe. Instead, The Crimson Flame slashed his enemy's chest, tearing through his tunic. Next, he punched him in the face. The Green Thunder cried out. He snapped his fingers, disappearing into the dark.

Just then, The Crimson Flame landed, crushing the archaic recovering from the ache, he looked around. He noticed his shadow on the wall and took a moment to breathe. However, his shadow began to stretch across the wall. His eyes widened and he took a step back. Just then, two shadow figures emerged from the wall. One of them had a heavy weight and unruly hair. It slowly pulled out its sword and pike. Goldrush. And who was the other one? This silhouette was tall, lean, and had sharp-edged armor. It cackled in a deep voice and summoned a staff made of shadows. Ah. Ultraviolet.

First, Ultraviolet's shadow came forward. He turned his staff into a sword and nearly stabbed him. The Crimson Flame tried to move, but it was too late. Ultraviolet's shadow slashed his chest, leaving a long scar. The shadow quickly turned his sword back into a staff and shot a magic beam, slamming The Crimson Flame into a wall.

Before he had a chance to recover, Goldrush's silhouette launched forward. He punched The Crimson Flame square in the face. He cried out, his head rocking back with the blow. His hand felt as real as his true rival. Next, he kicked him in the stomach. As the red warrior crashed to the floor, an item slipped out of his pocket. _CLANG!_ He tried to reach for it, but Goldrush's shadow stepped on his hand. Instead, Ultraviolet's shadow snatched it and stepped back, cackling. He floated into the air and handed the phone to The Green Thunder. The latter took it and stared at it, concentrating hard. It was some sort of metal contraption.

The Crimson Flame stared desperately at the item. No, no, no. He panted heavily and screamed before shooting fire towards both shadows. They vanished, crying in pain. He stood and ran towards The Green Thunder, but stopped. He was so high above him. There wasn't much he could do to retrieve the object, so he watched in horror.

The Green Thunder pressed a button. It flashed a bright light, indicating numbers and letters. _10:00 PM._ Slowly, he slid his finger across it. The first thing The Green Thunder saw was an image of two teenage boys. They both had brown hair and bright blue eyes. One of them was smiling confidently while the other was wearing a shy grin. He felt the love emanating from the two of them.

For a few seconds, everything was vague and fuzzy. Something deep inside of him _loved_ that picture. The Green Thunder glanced down at The Crimson Flame. For a short moment, they were not enemies, but beloved friends...

Then that moment ended. The Green Thunder shook his head, returning to his senses. He jumped from his platform and landed on the ground. He put the device on the floor gently, then stomped on it with his foot. The screen cracked. He stomped on it more and more. The item kept breaking until its screen went black. Finally, The Green Thunder stabbed into it with his scythe, smashing it into several pieces. The Crimson Flame watched with wide eyes. He looked up at The Green Thunder and saw him taking off.

* * *

The Crimson Flame frowned and ran after him. He ran up a staircase, heart pounding. As he reached the top, he found the green warrior on the other side of the room. He leaned against the balcony, hyperventilating. He kept to the far left of the balcony since the rest of the railing was gone. Once he turned and noticed The Crimson Flame, he groaned. He picked up his scythe and ran towards him.

The Green Thunder tried to attack, but The Crimson Flame kept dodging and deflecting. At the last second, he did a back-flip, inching further away. When The Green Thunder chased after him, the red warrior shot fireballs in his direction. The green warrior dodged them, then came right up to The Crimson Flame, kicking him in the chest. Next, The Green Thunder stabbed him with his scythe. The red warrior's eyes widened. His sword slipped out of his grip and landed on the floor. _CLANG!_ As the green warrior pulled his weapon out, The Crimson Flame clutched his chest. He fell to his knees, breathing hard. He felt light-headed as he continued to lose blood.

The Green Thunder tried to strike again, but The Crimson Flame grabbed his scythe at the last second. He tried to press it further into him, but the red warrior resisted with all his might. He felt his hands trembling. The Green Thunder groaned as he inched his weapon further. Next, The Crimson Flame closed his eyes. He felt his hands grow hotter and hotter. When he opened his eyes a few seconds later, the scythe was melting.

The red warrior looked at The Green Thunder. He expected him to be furious, but he wasn't. Instead, The Green Thunder smiled and threw the melted scythe aside. Then he kicked him, slamming him into the wall. Next, he used shadows to hold his enemy against the wall. The shadows instantly transformed into chains. As The Crimson Flame struggled helplessly, The Green Thunder's smile grew even wider. He chuckled, ignoring the ounces of regret he felt deep inside.

Meanwhile, The Crimson Flame stopped moving. He felt his motivation drain as the realization dawned on him. This was hopeless. No matter how hard The Crimson Flame fought, The Green Thunder fought harder. Was this a sign? Did the innocent soul he was trying to rescue not want to go back home?

Why? Why did things have to be like this? Why did they have to fight? This whole chain of events involved The Crimson Flame fighting so hard for his brother...And against him. As The Green Thunder laughed, the red warrior closed his eyes. He remembered how he was able to come in the first place.

It was Mario. If it wasn't for his courage, he never would've been able to do this. Unfortunately, things only got harder after they fused. Soon, Goldrush was chasing after them, begging for a fight. He thought he found an ally in White Flower, but Ultraviolet took her too. Not even burning his hands seemed like adequate revenge for taking her.

Sometimes, it was difficult being fused with Mario. He felt more hesitant and scared than before, but at the same time, he had more drive. This was such a strange idea, bringing another version of himself, but it just seemed like the right thing to do. Now, The Crimson Flame felt nothing but shame for breaking his promise. How could he have done this?

No. He was right there. They couldn't back down. Not when he was so close.

He slowly opened his eyes. He took a deep breath and struggled from his chains as much as he could. The Green Thunder raised an eyebrow. "Hmm?"

The Crimson Flame groaned, hearing quiet cracking in his chains. Then he heard a loud _CRACK!_ and his chains fell apart. He stood and grabbed his sword, which was a few feet away. After that, he stared The Green Thunder in the face. The green warrior stared with pure shock. He instinctively stepped back. The red warrior stepped forward.

"N-No..." He whispered. The Green Thunder groaned. "STAY BACK!"

He shot lightning, but The Crimson Flame deflected with his sword. Every time The Green Thunder stepped back, The Crimson Flame got closer. Finally, The Green Thunder stepped off of the edge of the balcony. He gasped, feeling himself fall.

Suddenly, The Crimson Flame grabbed him and held him in a tight embrace. His enemy's eyes turned blue for a split second before turning back to silver. "I'm sorry," The red warrior whispered. "I never meant for this to happen. You felt so alone that the only thing you could think to do was run. But I'm here now. So, please come back with me, Luigi."

The Green Thunder stared for a moment, shocked. Then he started struggling. The Crimson Flame tried his best to hold on to him, but The Green Thunder was persistent. He slipped out of his grip and stumbled back. The Green Thunder fell from the balcony, screaming. As he fell, he turned into shadows.

The Crimson Flame was silent. His eyes wandered to the boy who was still with him on the cliff.

Luigi held him close with a smile on his face.

The Crimson Flame smiled and hugged him back. For a few seconds, everything was quiet and peaceful. However, when The Crimson Flame let go to look at Luigi, he saw his right hand fading away. No...It was turning into a shadow. Luigi looked up, wiping his tears, and saw his right hand. He cried out, stepping back.

The Crimson Flame grabbed Luigi before he could fall. He put a finger to his lips. "Shh," He whispered, then picked Luigi up and ran down the steps. The warrior ignored Luigi's objections to being carried.

The castle was still on fire on the lower floors. As Luigi coughed, The Crimson Flame ran to the entrance and picked up Ultraviolet's staff. He shook it and the top of the staff began to glow a shade of magenta. Shooting it in front of him, a portal opened. Luigi stared at the portal in awe. The Crimson Flame jumped into the portal with Luigi in his arms.

* * *

 _The missing Luigi has been found. I repeat: the missing Luigi has been found._

 _You may be wondering 'Why doesn't Crimson talk?' Well, as you can see here, he can talk, but chooses not to. He feels numb through most of the story. I wanted him speaking to be a big deal. __His silence also serves as a reference to two things: 1) The BRS OVA, where the warriors (AKA Other Selves) don't talk at all. I decided to have them talk in this version because it'd be kinda weird if they didn't, Crimson being the exception. The other reference? The actual Mario games where Mario hardly talks. Well, except for the end credits. ("Thank you so much for playing my game!)_

 _I actually have one last chapter planned. I tried to stick to 5 Chapters, but I decided to have one more to explain things and show Mario and Luigi's reconciliation. But I'm not pulling a SBG. This is it. No more after that. I mean it. So, yeah! Stay tuned!_

 _And Norm, if you're reading this, I hope you enjoyed. I miss you a ton. Even though we can't talk directly anymore, I hope my stories can keep us connected in a way._

 _-Colorful and Free_


	6. A Normal Life

_And now, we are back with the strangest story/crossover idea that I've ever come up with. Otherwise known as The Crimson Flame. I know this one wasn't really all that popular, but hey. I only had the ending left. Might as well finish what I've started, amirite? Plus, I've had most of this ending finished for awhile with only a few finishing touches needed. To those who enjoyed this strange little story, thanks for waiting for the real ending._

 _Also, I've bumped the rating up to T because even though this story was meant to be for older kids, I realize some of the fight scenes I wrote were actually pretty violent for children. So I changed it. I gotta really commit to the K+ rating before I choose to write a story..._

* * *

"...ario...Mario!"

Mario opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Luigi, staring at him. He had a worried look on his face and...Wait. Luigi! Mario quickly sat up, causing his brother to flinch and scoot back. He noticed that he was at the park again, the wind was blowing gently. He watched the trees sway with the breeze against the dark sky.

Mario looked back at Luigi. He stared at him for a long moment before pinching himself as hard as he could. He only lasted a few seconds. "Ow!" He looked back at Luigi, who was now watching him with a mix of alarm and curiosity. "I-I'm not dreaming..."

Luigi grinned. "No. I'm here."

It took a moment for this to register. He had Luigi back. Mario beamed. "You're here...You're really here!" With that, he hugged his twin tightly. "You have no idea how much I've missed you, bro!"

Luigi hesitated before patting Mario back. "I've missed you too. I'm so sorry..."

After a long hug, Mario let go and searched for his counterpart. "Where is he?" He muttered.

"Your Other Self?" Luigi asked.

The boy in red turned, caught off guard. How did Luigi know? Mario nodded. The boy in green pointed. "He dropped me off there, then he let you go. You fell down right away. I tried to ask him what to do, but he was already gone..."

Mario took a moment to breathe. He wasn't sure what The Crimson Flame was doing now, but he hoped he was alright. Just then, he realized how weak he was. His whole body ached. "Luigi, are you tired?"

He smiled. "Very."

Mario stood and offered his brother a hand. "Then let's go home."

Luigi took his brother's hand and stood. Most of the walk home was silent until Luigi spoke up. "Hey, Mario?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

"Don't worry, Luigi. It's okay."

The younger brother shook his head. "No, it's not. I ran away and caused so much trouble! I-"

"Shh..." Mario interrupted. "It's okay. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't you."

Luigi lowered his head. "But it _was_ me..."

The older twin sighed. Something told him this issue wasn't going away anytime soon, but he knew he couldn't fix it with a quick talk and he was exhausted. "Bro, can we talk about this tomorrow? I love you but I'm really tired right now. Plus, Mama and Papa are probably waiting up on me..."

Luigi's eyes widened. He nodded, tears in his eyes. At first, Mario wondered if what he said upset him. He was relieved when Luigi whispered, "Mama and Papa...It's been so long." Mario held his brother close as he walked back to the house with him. Once they arrived home, the boy in red knocked on the door.

Mama quickly answered. "Mario, there you are! What were you thinking, running out like that!? You could've..." She stopped when she noticed Luigi. Her eyes widened.

Luigi came forward and smiled sadly. "Hi, Mama. I'm home."

Mama stared at Luigi. She shook, tears rushing down her face. Within seconds, she started sobbing. Before the brothers could do anything, she grabbed Luigi and held him close. "Oh, my precious boy...My Luigi..."

"Mama..." He whispered.

Mario decided to let them have their moment. Ever since they were little, Luigi had been closer with Mama. He knew they needed time together.

Just then, Papa walked in. His eyes instantly grew wide. "L-Luigi..." He came closer and his face hardened. "Where have you been?"

Luigi turned as Mama let go of him. His face contorted into a look of pain and he sniffled. "Oh, Papa...I'm so sorry. I-I didn't mean it." Tearing up, he added, "I know you deserve an answer, but I can't tell you right now. Please, Papa, can we talk about this some other time?"

Papa's face softened. He sighed. "Come here, _mio figlio."_ With that, Luigi came forward and buried his face into his father's shirt. Patting his back, Papa whispered, "I thought I lost you."

Mario let out a sigh of relief, a weight lifted from his shoulders. Luigi peered at him, tugging on his sleeve. Just like when he was younger. Mario couldn't turn Luigi down after everything and joined in on the embrace. It was both sorrowful and warm, a perfect blend of bittersweet.

* * *

When Papa dropped them off at school, Luigi hesitated more than on the first day of freshmen year. Mario had to reassure him that everything was alright before he stepped out. As Papa drove away, he looked around and noticed people whispering and pointing at him. Luigi felt his anxiety skyrocket. Without thinking, he reached for Mario's hand. If this were any other day, Mario would laugh it off and tell Luigi that nobody was looking at him. Today, however, Mario took his hand and lead him inside.

Once they went in, Luigi saw Peach and Daisy a few feet away. Peach nibbled on her perfectly manicured nails as Daisy tried to calm her down. Mario lit up upon seeing them. "Look! It's Peach and Daisy!"

"White Flower," He muttered.

Luigi hoped Mario wouldn't hear, but he heard anyway. His brother turned with a confused look on his face. "Hmm?"

The boy in green sighed and pointed to the brunette. "That's White Flower. I don't really know her friend's name. Green and I haven't seen her lately."

Mario frowned. "Luigi, you're thinking about the Other World again."

"Yeah..."

"Don't. Just think of the present."

Luigi nodded and held Mario's hand tighter, letting his brother drag him towards the girls. As soon as they noticed the boy in green, their eyes widened. Letting go of his hand, Mario waved at them. "Hello, ladies! Guess who I found?"

"Luigi..." Peach whispered. "You're really here..."

Luigi hesitated. "I...Well..."

Before he could finish, Peach gave him a hug. "I missed you. You had me so worried!"

Luigi felt an odd sense of comfort with the pretty blonde in his arms. He hugged her back. "I missed you too, Peach."

Daisy frowned and put her hands on her hips. "Uh, hello!? Where were you? We haven't seen you in a week!"

This was news to him. "A week? Huh. That's strange..."

Peach let go of Luigi. "What do you mean?"

He shook his head. "Nothing! I was...um..." He looked to Mario with fear in his eyes.

The boy in red came forward. "Wee-gee doesn't wanna talk about it right now. He'll tell you another time, okay?"

Luigi nodded. "Yeah! What he said!"

Peach grinned. "Of course. I'm just glad you're okay. Let me know if you need anything, alright?" Twirling a piece of hair, she added, "Excuse me, but I agreed to talk with a teacher about something. I'll see you three later!" With that, Peach turned and walked away.

Daisy stared at Luigi with narrowed eyes. She peered at Mario. Smiling, she asked, "Hey, sweetheart? Can you please give us a moment alone?"

The boy in red glanced at his brother. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "Um...Sure. Just don't be too hard on him, okay? He's been through a lot."

She smiled. "Don't worry! I'm not gonna be too hard on him."

Mario looked back and forth between them before nodding and leaving them alone. Luigi frowned. _Thanks for helping me out, bro._ Still, he couldn't blame him. Luigi would have to face Daisy eventually anyway. Offering a weak smile, he decided to get right to it. "So, what's on your mind, Daisy?"

Daisy gave him a hard look before sighing. She turned away. "You really had me worried about you. All this time, I thought it was because I didn't like you back..."

Luigi felt a wave of guilt. "Oh, Daisy...I'm so sorry. It was part of why I left, but that wasn't the main reason!" He quickly added, "But you don't need to feel guilty! I support you being with my bro 100 percent! As long as you're happy, that's all that matters."

The girl sighed. She hesitated, placing a piece of hair behind her ear. "You know you can tell me anything...Right?"

The boy in green thought back to his experiences in the Other World. He faked a smile. "Of course! You're my best friend!"

Daisy narrowed her eyes. "And I do mean anything. I know more than you might think." Luigi felt oddly nervous. She went quiet before adding, "I know about the Other World."

He gasped. In a hushed voice, he asked, "What!? Really!?"

She seemed taken back by his reaction. Staring at the floor, she added, "So...The world from my dream _is_ real. And so is she. The person I was..."

Luigi nodded. "Her name is White Flower."

The girl laughed. "Our names are the same."

"How did you know?"

"I dreamed that I was fighting for Mario's sake, only he didn't quite look the same," Daisy explained. "It looked like there was some kind of spiral pattern in his eyes and he dressed like he came right out of a fantasy book. He wanted someone that he called Green."

She looked up at Luigi and smiled sheepishly. "I'm guessing that was you. Anyway, I was close to dying. I told him to go on and that we would meet in the Other World. When I woke up, I stopped worrying about you because I had a strong feeling that Mario had taken care of everything. And then you show up out of nowhere with Mario smiling like he won some big contest! As soon as I saw you, I knew it was more than just a dream."

Luigi tried to think of something to say. He grabbed Daisy and hugged her. "Thank you...If it wasn't for you, I'd still be gone."

"No problem. It's our little secret, okay?"

He smiled and nodded. It was painful to let her go when the first bell rang.

* * *

After school, Mario waited on a bench outside and stared at his phone. It was 3:20. Mario felt his heart race. What if Luigi left again? What would he do? That was when Luigi came out of the school. However, he was not alone. He was talking with Waluigi. Mario grew tense and watched the boy in purple with narrowed eyes.

Waluigi smiled and rubbed the back of his neck, talking quietly. Luigi laughed, patting him on the back. With that, both boys went separate ways. Luigi waved and went to Mario. "Hey, bro!"

"You had me worried, Luigi."

Luigi stopped. "Huh?"

Mario pulled out his phone and showed Luigi the time. "It's five minutes past when you would normally get here."

He laughed. "Mario, you don't have to worry about me. I told you that I'd never run away again. Besides, it's only five minutes."

"But still..." His eyes shifted towards Waluigi, who got in the passenger seat of Wario's new car. He pointed in his direction. "What was going on with _him_?"

Luigi looked at car. "Waluigi? He just said he was sorry is all. I don't really know what triggered it."

Mario hesitated before saying, "Did he seem genuine about it?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't he be genuine?"

"He was a real jerk. Are you just going to forgive all of that?"

Luigi frowned. "Don't get me wrong. I haven't forgiven him yet. At least not all the way. But if he's willing to come forward for his mistakes and try to make it up to me, then I don't see why he shouldn't get another chance."

Mario couldn't help but show a small smile. "Well, then, you're better than me in that regard."

Luigi laughed. "I'm not better than anyone. I'm not even that good a person."

His smile faded. "Yes, you are..."

The boy in green shook his head and walked away. "Come on. We better get to the bus." They walked to the bus stop quietly. When the bus arrived, Mario and Luigi got on and took their usual spot in the back. Luigi took the window spot and stared at the window, not saying a word. Meanwhile, Mario glanced at Luigi every now and then. He couldn't stop thinking about what his brother said. How could he not think he was a good person?

 _"Maybe I should just leave him alone,"_ Mario thought. _"He could use some space..."_

As Luigi sat quietly, the older Mario brother decided to check his phone and play games for a bit. That worked fine until he heard Luigi's frantic breathing. Shocked, Mario turned and noticed his younger brother, shaking with tears in his eyes. "Wee-gee?" Mario touched his shoulder lightly. Luigi latched onto his brother, sobbing.

Mario looked around and noticed people looking their way. Luckily, it didn't take long for the bus to reach their stop. The second the bus doors opened, Mario grabbed Luigi's hand and hurried to the exit of the bus. Stepping outside, Mario lead Luigi to a nearby bench and sat down. "Shh...Wee-gee, it's okay..."

The boy in green shook his head. "N-No...No, I don't wanna. I don't wanna!" Luigi started hyperventilating. Mario did his best to comfort him as he had his panic attack. He told him to breathe and tried to talk with him. Luigi shook his head, tears in his eyes. "Just go away!"

Mario took a deep breath, trying his best to keep from snapping at him. "I'm not going to do that," He said calmly.

After a while, Luigi managed to get his breathing down. When he was calm enough, Mario asked, "What were you thinking about?"

Luigi was quiet. "I was remembering...Me and Green..." He looked around. Lowering his voice, he asked, "It's okay to talk about it here, right?"

Mario noticed that they were in a quiet area. A few cars passed by every now and then, but for once, the city was quiet. Mario nodded slowly. "Just keep your voice down, in case anyone comes by." Luigi nodded. Mario hesitated before asking, "Did Green hurt you?"

Luigi shook his head. "Not physically. He was a bit harsh at times, but that was it. Still...He wanted me to hurt people. I told him I wouldn't do it, so he just took control and that was the end of it. I hurt a lot of people in the Other World. I made Wario and Waluigi do my bidding, threatening their brother's life if they wouldn't comply. It was so awful..."

Mario was quiet. "Why did he take you away?"

"I wasn't feeling good," Luigi answered. "I was so jealous...Of you." Shaking his head, he went on, "I don't know. I just wasn't happy. And Green said I didn't belong here. I believed him. I thought if I could just disappear...Then things would be better somehow."

The boy in red put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "That's not true, Luigi. I love you so much. I can't imagine life without you, bro."

The boy in green turned away. "It's just hard. That's all. It's hard being me again. I'm used to being him..."

"Crimson and I were only fused for a week at most. I can't imagine how hard it must've been."

Luigi turned. "It's months in the other world."

Mario gasped. "Months? What was that like?"

"I-I was his victim." Luigi gulped. "I saw the worst parts of myself come to life. My anxieties, my insecurities, all the frustrations I've ever had..." He shook his head. "That's enough! I don't wanna talk about this anymore!"

Mario nodded. Without thinking, he asked one more question. "Do you think we should tell Mama and Papa?"

To his surprise, Luigi glared at him. "Don't you even _think_ of telling them! They would never understand. Besides, if your kid mentioned all this stuff, would you believe them!?"

Mario blinked. "I-I'm sorry, bro..."

Luigi softened his expression. He started to open his mouth, but then he closed it. Shaking his head, he stood from the bench. "Let's get back to the house."

The boy in red followed without a word. As much as he wanted to help, there wasn't much he could do right now. He had to let Luigi sort through this himself. And after losing him once, he had to trust that his brother wouldn't do something stupid again. It was the hardest course of action Mario could possibly take.

* * *

Months later, Mario and Luigi were gradually getting back to their normal relationship, although there was still a rift there. Luigi knew some of it was his fault, but he had trouble reaching out to his brother. It would always go back to what he did when he was The Green Thunder, and honestly, Luigi didn't want to talk about that. He wasn't sure if he ever would be.

The Toads weren't doing so great. For once, the team's star player didn't do so well. With only a few minutes left in the last quarter, Luigi didn't think the Toads would win. Peach, on the other hand, was fully immersed in the game. "Come on, you two! Don't give up! We can still win this thing!"

Luigi chuckled. He could use someone like Peach these days. "You're sure optimistic. You know they aren't gonna win, right?"

Peach looked at Luigi with a hint of disapproval. "Come on, Wee-gee! At least try and stay positive!"

The boy in green smiled. Even Peach started calling him his childhood nickname. "Peach, the game's almost over."

"They could still win!"

Luigi smiled and ate some popcorn. The two watched the players in a comfortable silence. Occasionally, Luigi thought he saw Peach stealing glimpses of him, but he wrote it off as part of his imagination. Of course, that was until she spoke again. "Luigi..."

He turned. "Yes, Peach?"

Peach twirled a strand of hair with her finger. "I was wondering...Are you free this weekend?"

He blinked a few times. "I believe so. Why?"

"Well, I heard of this nice restaurant in town and...I was wondering if you maybe wanted to go eat with me sometime?"

Luigi's eyes widened, his cheeks growing hot. Before he knew it, he was laughing. Peach frowned. "What? What's so funny?"

"I never thought a girl would ask me out!" Smiling, he said, "Of course I'll go with you, Peach. You're the sweetest girl I know."

The blonde beamed. "Really? Oh, I'm so happy! Thank you!" Without any hesitation, Peach leaned over and gave Luigi a smooch on the cheek. Luigi laughed nervously. He remembered how they were both Romeo and Juliet in the play last year. Mario teased him about the two getting together. Luigi denied it at the time, but it looked like his brother was right. And there was nothing wrong with that. He was happy to be Peach's Romeo.

* * *

It had been so long since that day. A battle that The Crimson Flame hoped would end in reasoning and his fallen brother turning a new leaf. Instead, the exact opposite happened and the castle was still in ruins to show for it. He bent down and scooped up a small pile of ash from that day, which was now cold. He let the ash slide down his pale fingers.

He missed being with his counterpart. Mario was so lively and full of energy. Without him, The Crimson Flame felt numb and lonely. He was starting to see how detached from reality he had become. He wasn't supposed to rely on his emotions, being born into such a cruel, relentless world. But after his encounter with Mario, he felt some traces of emotion coming back to him. Sadness, bitterness, anger...How he missed Green. His younger brother. His spark. His worst enemy.

"M-Mario?" A small, trembling voice asked.

The Crimson Flame turned, letting out a small gasp. There was a boy standing a few feet away. He wore a black cloak and brown boots, but the red warrior saw a plain and strange outfit underneath. A dirty long-sleeved green shirt and dust-covered jeans. His eyes were glowing with a calm green light. He wiped a tear from his eye. When he opened them again, his eyes were sky blue. "N-No...That's not your name. It can't be. After all..."

The red warrior stood, approaching the boy. The child yawned. Staring up at the Crimson Flame, he whispered, "I'm looking for my brother. Have you seen him? He looked a lot like you, though he really smiled a lot more." He examined his surroundings. Letting out a sigh, he stared at the palms of his hands. He used a round of green electricity, which bounced between left and right. The red warrior gasped.

"Hmm...I'm tired of this magical world. The same old story. Day in, day out. Tales of someone who will fix everything and impossible things becoming real." He looked up with a smile. "I'm fine with the problems of day to day life. All I want is a normal, quiet life with a normal, quiet person."

The warrior grinned. "I'm far from normal. But I'd be happy to keep you company until you find your real brother. Tell me...Have you heard of one called The Green Thunder?"

The boy's eyes widened. He furrowed his brows. "You've heard of me?"

The red warrior chuckled. The boy tilted his head, confused. The warrior got down on one knee and offered a hand to the boy. "They call me The Crimson Flame. It's nice to see you again."

* * *

 _And that's the end! Thanks for being patient and waiting for the ending. Originally, I thought of Green coming back as the same age, but where's the fun in that when you can have a tiny Luigi/Green? Anyway, back to Thunder Storm! The next chapter should be posted really soon._

 _-Colorful and Free_


End file.
